Could You Be Loved
by EllieBear75
Summary: Sequel to "Ghosts That Haunt Me Now". Three years after Veronica and Logan get back together, Mars Investigations has to solve the murder of someone very close to Veronica. Takes place three years after the events in "Ghosts That Haunt Me Now."
1. Chapter 1

Logan lay awake in his t-shirt and boxers, looking at the ceiling in the damp motel. He had chased a bounty up the coast and was positive his mark was now in L.A., trying to gather funds from old contacts for a run back down to the border, and now he found himself in a dive hotel, waiting for information. He missed Veronica, but the thrill of bounty hunting fed the same urge in him that being a pilot once did. Once they bought Mars Investigations, three-years-ago, he and Veronica had decided to try and only use his inheritance for their personal lives and make enough to keep the business going on its own. Thus, bounty hunting became a side-line that kept a good cash flow, and kept Logan busy during slow times between investigating. He closed his eyes and started to think about the reunion sex he and Veronica would have when he got home in a few days.

Just as he was going to take matters into his own hands, his cell phone started buzzing. Logan figured it was his L.A. contact with news on the whereabouts of his mark, and he answered it seriously. "Logan here." He said heavily.

"It's me, Keith."

Logan looked a the clock. 1:43 am. He bolted upright. "What happened?" Logan questioned, panic rising in his voice.

Keith took a deep breath. He sounded horse. "Veronica is fine. For now. But I need you to come home, son. Something has happened and I need your help."

Logan jumped off the bed, grabbed his clothes and started attempting to get dressed with one hand. "I'm in a hotel in L.A. Let me get my things together and I'll be on the road as soon as I can." He said.

"Good. Thank you, Logan. I'll let you get ready. Call me back from the road and I will fill you in as you drive."

"Will do, Keith. I'll get back to you soon." And he hung up. He did a sweep of the room and picked up the random objects he left around. He then bolted from the room, his stomach twisting at the thought of what he may find out.

The buzzing of the intercom woke Veronica from a sound sleep. With Logan gone for the night, she had elected to sleep on his side of the bed, to be near his smell, and had happily drifted off into a very deep sleep. The buzzing of the intercom interrupted that peace.

Opening her eyes, she looked at the clock. 5:00 am. "Fucking drunk frat boys." She muttered and hopped out of bed. As she crossed the loft to the main intercom, the buzzing started again. "I'm COMING!" She yelled and quickened her pace. When she got to the intercom panel, she hit the button that displayed a video feed to see who was ringing her doorbell. She froze when she saw it was her dad. He was leaning against the wall of the vestibule, his face full of stubble, looking dejected.

"Dad?" She pressed the 'talk' button and spoke softly.

"Can I come upstairs, Veronica?" Keith replied, looking into the camera. She could now see he had been crying.

"Come upstairs." She said and buzzed him in. She then quickly unlocked the doors to their stairway entrance and stood frozen at the top, waiting for her father to reach her. She watched as his defeated form pulled its way up to her. When he was two stairs away, he raised his head.

"What happened, Dad?" She asked hesitantly, not sure if she wanted to know the response.

"Come with me." He said quietly as he reached for his daughter's hand. He came inside and closed the door. He held her hand and led her to the big sectional couch by the window and they both sat down. Keith never let go of her hand.

"Honey, Leanne is dead." He finally said, watching for her response.

Shock washed a strange calm over Veronica. "How?" She said, in a small voice.

"She was murdered. At the Camelot." Keith responded, choking out the words.

"She was in town." She observed and looked out the window.

"It seems that she arrived a few hours prior." He answered.

Veronica nodded. Her head moving back and forth. Then her body started to rock. Keith watched as comprehension moved through her and finally, when she realized her mother was, in fact, finally, forever 'gone', did Veronica gasp and let out a wail. Keith wrapped his arms around his daughter and together they cried for the person they lost all those years ago.

She wasn't sure how long they were there like that, but she was shaken from her crying by the sound of the service elevator moving. She pulled back from Keith, wiping her eyes. "Logan." She said quietly.

Keith nodded. "I called him several hours ago when I found out. I thought you may need him back here." He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead.

Veronica watched as the elevator gate rose and out came Logan, looking around the loft for her. Veronica jumped up off the couch and sprinted her way across the expanse of their home. Keith watched as he opened his arms and Veronica threw herself into his embrace. Her tiny body shook with sobs. Logan stroked her hair and put his head down to her. He was scruffy from not shaving for a few days, and his stubble rubbed against her forehead. She looked up and their eyes met. He didn't have to say anything and she felt comforted, just by his presence. Quietly, he maneuvered himself to her side and led her back to the couch.

Seated again, Veronica kept one hand clutching Logan's. "Thank you for coming home." She said to Logan.

He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Where else would I be?"

Anchored to the couch by Logan, she turned back to her father. "What happened?"

Keith took a deep breath to steady himself. He sat up straight, a sure sign he was in full 'sheriff' mode. "I got a call from Lamb in the middle of the night. They received a 911 call from a man that was in the room, saying he found a woman, unconscious and bleeding, and they needed to send an ambulance. By the time they got to the Camelot, the man was gone and your mother..." He trailed off. Taking a moment, he composed himself and continued. "Blunt force trauma to the head. Looked like a struggle."

Veronica sat silently, her mind clicking. "What was she doing here?"

Keith shook his head. "I don't know. The only reason I got a call was because Sacks realized it was Leanne and they couldn't get a hold of her next-of-kin."

Veronica's brow furrowed. "Me?" Keith shook his head. "Then who else was her 'next-of-kin"?"

Keith put his hand on her free hand and looked into her eyes. "Now...don't be mad..."

She scowled. "I hate when you start sentences that way."

Keith kept steady. "A few years back, when you were engaged to Piz, HE asked me to find Leanne, in case you wanted her at the wedding."

Veronica snorted. "Idiot." She intoned.

Keith continued. "I mentioned that it wasn't a good idea, but he insisted. Well, I found her. She was living a nice middle-class life in Seattle. She met a man during one of her stays in rehab. He's a restaurateur and he has two restaurants in Seattle, so that's where they settled." He took a moment and continued. "I talked to her, explained about you getting married, and she said that if you wanted to contact her, then it would be okay. But she didn't want to disturb your life." He looked from Logan to Veronica again. "After you broke off your engagement, I let her know, and she asked if I could send her updates in you, now that you were back in town, so she knew about your life now. I talked with Alicia about it, and we agreed to do it."

Veronica abruptly stood up, dropping Logan's hand. She crossed past their big oak coffee table and started to pace, nervously. "Of course it would be my responsibility to contact her. Why would she even try to contact her daughter? Why would she own up to her mistakes and try and contact me before it was too late?" Veronica voice started to rise in her throat.

Keith and Logan both stood up. "Veronica," Keith began. "Please, I know you are hurt..."

Veronica began pacing faster, her hands going up to burrow in her hair. "Because we all know the dirty little secret...if she wasn't in Neptune to see me or you...we know who she was here to see."

"Veronica, please let me..." Keith began.

"JAKE! We all know that is the only other reason she would be in town! It doesn't matter that she was remarried! It's HIM! He's the reason she was here and he's the reason she's dead!" Veronica was breathing hard and she felt a burning in her chest. Angry tears were now pouring from her eyes.

Logan moved towards her and put his hand out, trying to stop her pacing. "Veronica. You need to calm down and listen to your dad. Before you start speculating on Leanne's death, there is something else you need to know. But you need to calm down."

She stopped by his outstretched hand. Her chest was heaving and she felt like her whole body was vibrating. He brought his hand to her cheek and she dropped her head into it. He walked a step closer and wrapped her in his arms. She desperately wanted to close her eyes and go to sleep. Soon, she felt her breathing starting to mimic his, and she felt herself calming, in spite of her anger. After a few minutes, Logan was sure she wasn't going to pass out, and so he released her slightly. She pulled out of his arms completely and looked at her father. He sat down and patted the cushion next to him. She came and sat down.

"When they were searching the room, they found something. SomeONE." Keith started. "They found Leanne's son. He was hiding in the back of the closet."

Veronica gasped. "What?" She croaked meekly, unable to process this information.

"His name is Hunter. He's five years old. I met him almost four years ago when I first found Leanne, but he was too young to remember." Keith took a deep breath. "They think he was there when Leanne was killed. They don't think he saw it, but they don't know because he isn't talking because of the trauma. Lamb called Social Services and they are caring for him until they find his father or..." Keith collected his words. "...until another blood relative comes forward to take care of him until his father is found."

Veronica let the words sink in. "I have a brother?"

Keith nodded. "Half-brother; but yes, you do. And I think he may need you right now." He added quietly.

A dark cloud of silence hovered over their heads. Logan caught Keith's eye and then they both turned their attention back to Veronica. She was looking down at her hands. She had flipped them over on her lap and she was opening them an closing them slowly, suddenly lost in a memory. She was 5-years-old and she remembered holding her mother's hand. She loved holding her mother's hand back then. Her fingers were long and they seemed to wrap around her tiny hands like silk ribbons. Did she hold her brother's hand that way? Did she hold his hand when they walked up the stairs of the Camelot? Did he hold her hand when she hid him in the closet before her lover showed up?

"Okay." She said softly to her hands. "Take me to him."

Keith put his hand on her open hands and she squeezed them, hard. "I'm going to go home to get myself together and call Lamb. I'll come back and get you and Logan once you are dressed and ready, okay?"

Veronica kept her head down, looking at her father's hands in hers. She suddenly became aware that she was still in a pair of Logan's boxers and his ripped and faded "Go Navy!" t-shirt that she went to bed in. She let go of her dad's hands and he stood up. She felt him kiss the top of her head, but she didn't look up.

Logan rose with Keith. "I'll text you when we're ready." He said and walked to the door with Keith.

At the door, Keith clasped Logan on the shoulder. "Thanks for coming back, son. She's going to need you in the next few days."

Logan nodded his understanding and let Keith out the door, locking it behind him. He then turned toward Veronica again. She was still in the couch with her head down. He crossed back to her and sat down.

"Hey." He said quietly.

"Hey." She responded and leaned into his body. Her breathing was steady and shallow and she sat there, feeling calmed by the contact. Then, when she had the courage, she stated to speak.

"Logan?"

"Yeah."

"Does it get better?"

"Does what get better?"

"Losing your mother?"

He sighed. "No."

"Oh." She said, and wrapped herself around him to comfort them both.


	2. Chapter 2

It took Veronica a long time to get herself ready to leave the security of the loft. She found herself standing in the shower, staring at the tile so long that Logan had to come in and check to see if she was alright. He lovingly wrapped his girlfriend in a big towel and guided her back to their bed, where she sat beside him and cried some more. She was still sitting there when he came out of his shower. Even choosing an outfit seemed to be overwhelming. Just as Logan was trying to convince her to eat something before they left, Keith texted to say that Lamb wanted to talk to Veronica before she saw Hunter and that the social worker said the boy was still sleeping, so it would be best to come by later in the morning. The California Children and Family Services office for Neptune was located near the police station, therefore, the decision was made to first meet with Lamb and then with the counsellor who was taking care of Hunter, giving Veronica more time to grieve before carrying on with her daunting tasks.

After a morning that seemed to last forever, Veronica, Logan, and Keith entered the police station solemnly around 11 am. They approached the front desk, where Deputy Sacks was waiting for them. He came out to the group and nodded. "Veronica, Keith. I'm sorry for your loss."

Veronica nodded in acknowledgment of his words. "Where's Lamb?" She asked bluntly.

"He's in his office. Follow me." He said and took the group through the station to Sherriff Dan Lamb's inner sanctum.

Lamb was on the phone when they arrived at his door. He gestured to them to sit down. Logan directed Veronica and Keith to the chairs while he leaned against the back wall of the office, arms crossed. He didn't trust Lamb from the start and after the last few years of doing investigating in Neptune, he had really grown to despise the man. Keeping his distance was the best solution, should he suddenly feel the urge to punch the Sherriff.

Lamb hung up the phone and turned his attention to the group. "So, Veronica, do you know anything about who could have killed Leanne?" He asked, offering no condolences or lead up.

Veronica's eyes narrowed. "Well, since you mention it, you may want to check out Jake Kane."

Lamb laughed and shook his head. "What is it with you Mars' going after Jake Kane? First for Lily Kane's murder, now this?" He looked at Logan to see if he got any reaction from the man who's father murdered his girlfriend. Logan just shifted to stand at attention, not letting the Sherriff ruffle him.

Veronica took a deep breath to steady herself. "My mom and Jake had been carrying on an affair for decades. It didn't stop when either of them were first married. I'm sure it didn't stop when she got married again."

Lamb snorted. "So based on the fact that she was his mistress, you want me to drag in the most powerful man in town? Not going to happen. Besides, how do you know she was meeting him? Maybe she was meeting someone else? Maybe she was meeting a woman...maybe that woman was you?"

This time Veronica laughed. "Are you accusing me of killing my mother?"

Lamb shrugged. "As you said, your mom was carrying on the affair for decades. You may have been angry she cheated on your dad. You may have been upset she was a drunk who abandoned you. There are so many reasons. So tell me, Veronica Mars," He leaned over his desk and clasped his hands together. "where were you last night between the hours of 10 p.m. and Midnight."

A giant weighted silence fell over the group. Veronica sat forward and met Lamb's eyes. "I was at home. In bed." She hissed at him.

Lamb's eyes darted from her to Logan and back. "Anyone with you in that bed?" He smirked at her.

She didn't waiver, but her eyes narrowed. "Nope. Just me. Logan was out of town." Logan pushed himself from the wall at the mention of his name and walked to stand behind his lover, his hand coming down to rest on her shoulder.

"Do we need to call a lawyer, Sherriff?" Logan growled and set his jaw firm.

Lamb leaned back in his chair and put his hands behind his head. "No. No need for lawyers. Just a friendly little talk." He arched his eyebrow at Veronica and gave a twisted smile. "If there WAS someone with you last night...that you don't want to mention in present company...you can always call me. I mean apple...tree..."

Before Logan could lunge across the room at Lamb, Keith stood up and crashed his hand down on the desk, making Lamb jump slightly in his chair and almost fall backwards. "Listen here, Lamb!" He yelled. "Veronica had nothing to do with Leanne's death. And you thinking you can use her as 'reasonable doubt' to keep away from investigating Jake Kane is appalling. The woman just lost her mother – so have a modicum of decency and respect for the victim's family." He growled.

Veronica stood and looked down at the Sheriff, her voice carried an eerie calm. "Look. I came to meet with you in good faith to give you information about Jake and Leanne, and answer your questions. But its quite apparent that you aren't going to do anything about this, so just be warned..." She leaned over the desk at him, showing no fear. "Logan and I WILL investigate this on our own. And we WILL find who did this. And I WILL embarrass you in public. Again."

Lamb's eyes flickered for a moment and then he regained his composure. "Your dad tangled with Jake Kane several times before and lost. You may want to reconsider your threats." He observed, and then smirked at her. "Right now, as far as Leanne's death is concerned, there are no suspects, as of yet."

Veronica backed herself away from him and smiled. "Maybe you can go tell your problem to the Wizard...maybe he'll help you with your case." The phrase made Sherriff Lamb-the-second flinch a bit, giving Veronica a powerful feeling. She then turned on her heels and walked out the door, leaving Logan and Keith to follow behind her.

The group did not stop walking until they got to the street. Veronica stopped and turned to the other two. "What a fucking asshole." She muttered and crossed her arms in front of her.

"I second that feeling and raise you one 'dumb-fuck." Said Logan as he put his arm around her waist and kissed the side of her head.

"What was that you said to him back there?" Keith asked and looked between the two.

Veronica raised an eyebrow and pursed her lips. "His brother once told me to 'Go see the wizard' when I went to him with a...problem." Veronica looked up at Logan for a second and then looked back. "I played a hunch. I wanted to remind him that I've tangled with his family before...and maybe he should remember that when he messes with mine."

Keith shook his head. "Well, you caught his attention. But be careful. Lamb is still protected by some powerful people. I know that you and Logan have helped a few of these families the past few years, but they still may have loyalties to Lamb."

Veronica nodded. She knew her father was right, but at that moment, she didn't really care. "Let's go and meet my brother." She said quietly.


	3. Chapter 3

Veronica's nerves were shot. Her leg bounced rapidly as her, Logan, and Keith waited in a small office for Hunter's case worker to appear with him. They had arrived at the specified time and filled out a mountain of paperwork, but were then made to wait a half-hour more. By the fifteen-minute mark, her leg had started moving independently and her stomach started to moan. Which is why she nearly leapt out of her skin when the door to the office finally opened. A woman no taller than Veronica, but at least 20-years older than her, hurried into the office and flopped into the giant chair on the other side of the desk. She looked as exhausted as Veronica felt.

"Ms. Mars. I'm sorry to keep you and your family waiting. Hunter woke up this morning very agitated, and it took a lot for us to get him feeling calm and safe again so we could bring him here." She talked as she flipped through her files.

Veronica reached out and grabbed Logan's hand, the full weight of what she was about to undertake taking hold of her. "Is he okay?" She asked softly.

The woman stopped what she was doing and looked at Veronica. "Oh, my dear. He is NOT okay. I am sorry to say that he is a very traumatized little boy, who just wants his mommy and can't understand why this has happened."

Veronica took a deep breath and tried to hold in her tears. "Well, that makes two of us then." She responded.

The older woman put her hands on her desk. "Let me start this again. My name is Rosemary and I've been a case worker for over 20 years in Neptune. Ms. Mars, I am so sorry for your loss. We only want what is best for your brother, and right now, he needs the love and support of his remaining family to help him through." She looked at the others in the room and gave a tight smile to the two men in the room.

Logan caught her eye and spoke. "I'm Logan, Veronica's partner. I think we all understand this is going to be hard on Hunter and we want to help. Have you had any word about his father?"

She let out a sigh. "Not yet. Seattle Family Services and the local law enforcement are trying to get a warrant to search the home of Gareth Winters, Hunter's father. We haven't been able to contact anyone from the number Mr. Mars provided for us and no one is answering the door. We contacted the restaurants Mr. Winters owns but there seemed to be some confusion as to where he where he was or where he could be. But it has only been a few hours since this all began so we don't expect to hear anything until later today or tomorrow."

Logan nodded, satisfied with her answer. "Is he talking yet?" Asked Veronica.

"He is, but not a lot. And not about what happened or about his life or his family." Rosemary explained.

Veronica looked from Logan to her father and back again. "Can I meet him now?"

Rosemary nodded. "In a minute. I just want to make sure that you have all the information you need. You are able to meet him and take him home with you, but you cannot travel outside of Neptune with him. He has a small suitcase of clothes and a few toys that we found, but that is it. We cannot reimburse you for any expenses, should he need anything else. Once we contact his father, we will transfer custody back to him. Do you understand?"

Veronica suddenly froze. She just realized that she was about to be responsible for the care of a small human for an indeterminable period of time. She looked at Logan with some degree of panic in her face. He smiled reassuringly and nodded his head. "We've got this." He leaned in and said quietly to her.

She gave Rosemary a tight smile. "Yes. We understand."

The case worker smiled at her. "Then let's get you acquainted with your brother." She rose from here seat and the group rose to follow her. They walked down the hallway quietly, Veronica still holding Logan's hand. They came to a door marked 'Playroom.' "Hunter is in here, playing with one of the other case workers. He's been told about you and is quiet curious about the fact that he has a sister. Just be yourself. Let him ask questions. You can ask him easy questions. But let him set the pace."

Veronica felt a hand on her shoulder. "I'm going to stay out here." Said her dad. "You can do this, kiddo."

Logan tightened his grip on her hand. "Shall we go?"

Veronica took a deep breath and looked at Logan. His eyes were dark and serious. He knew what they were potentially getting themselves into too. He leaned in and kissed her forehead. "We got this." He reminded her . She pushed the door open with one hand, pulling him into the room with her and stopped just a few feet inside. The room was long, with bright windows along one side making the place glow. Hunter was at the far end, playing in a toy kitchen with another social worker. When they entered, the playing had stopped and Hunter was frozen to his spot, his mouth agape. He was a tall little boy with a head of floppy blond hair. He wore shorts and a t-shirt with Star Wars characters on the front. The two siblings stared at each other, taking in the sight of the other for the first time.

Suddenly, he broke into a run. Pumping his arms, he ran across the room and wrapped himself around the legs of his half-sister. Veronica was stunned. She looked at Logan and then down at the child wrapped around her. She put her hands down and stroked his head tentatively.

The social worker crossed the room. "I'm Molly. I've been working with Hunter this morning. He's been very worried about meeting you. But I see that has passed."

Veronica knelt down so she was eye to eye with the boy; it was like looking into her own, they were beautiful puddles of blue. "Hi Hunter. I'm your half-sister, Veronica."

Hunter nodded. "I know." He said. "You look like Mommy."

Veronica felt like the wind was knocked out of her. Sometime, around her 30th birthday, she would look in the mirror in the mornings and Leanne would be looking back at her. "Yeah." She said quietly. "I kinda do." And she forced a smile.

She turned to see that Logan was kneeling near them, waiting for his turn to meet the little boy. "Hunter, this is my partner, Logan. You're going to stay with both of us for a while until things are sorted, okay."

Hunter looked at Logan and furrowed his brow. "Your 'partner'? Like a policeman?"

She laughed a little. "No. Not like that. He's my...husband." Veronica looked at Logan and shrugged. He looked like he was going to fall over from shock.

"Oh. I know that word. It means you're married." Said Hunter seriously, his brow still knotted, thinking about Veronica's words. Veronica opened her mouth to clarify, but Logan interjected.

"That's right. That's who I am. Nice to meet you, Hunter." And he extended his hand to the little boy. Hunter looked at it, then extended his hand and shook it like a little man. Veronica could see that Logan couldn't wipe the goofy grin off his face, even though his lip was twitching like he was trying to.

Hunter turned back to Veronica. "When is my dad coming to get me?" He asked, a sad look on his face.

Veronica sighed. "They are still trying to find him. But until they do, you will be safe with me and Logan. Okay?"

Tears started to appear in Hunter's eyes. "I miss my mommy." He said quietly to Veronica and came closer to her again and started crying.

Veronica reached out and wrapped her arms around him. "I miss her too." She said back to him, her voice thick with sadness.

When it seemed that the boy's crying had subsided, Logan came closer and put his hand on Hunter's back. "Before we go home, why don't we go and have something to eat. You must be starving, Hunter." The 5-years-old peeked his head out from Veronica's embrace and sniffled.

"Can we have pizza?" He asked quietly.

"Of course we can. I like pizza too. So does Veronica. What's your favourite" Logan asked.

The boy smushed his face up to think about it, hard. Then responded. "Pepperoni and black olives and extra cheese. What's yours?"

"Would you believe it's the same as yours?" Logan winked.

"REALLY? Maybe we can share?" He said and moved towards Logan.

Logan reached out his hand and Hunter took it. Logan stood up and offered his hand to Veronica. She took it and stood up. "Can I have pizza too?" She teased.

"Oh, okay." Logan said and smiled. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

Rosemary came up to the three and handed her card to Veronica. "Here is my contact information. Call me if there are any problems. I will contact you when we hear anything."

"Thank you for taking care of my brother." Veronica said to the two women. They both smiled at her warmly, happy that Hunter seemed content with the arrangement. She then took a deep breath. "Let's go, boys!" She said as perky as she could manage, and the three left on their new adventure together.

Lunch had been a little escape to normal for Veronica, Logan, and Hunter. Keith said his goodbyes at the Family Services offices, trying to give the three some alone time to get to know each other. Logan provided a steady stream of innocuous questions to Hunter, which the boy answered readily. By the time they left, they had learned all about Hunter's Kindergarten class, his love of all things LEGO, the fact that he could read quite well, and all the names and storylines of characters from a show called 'Phineas and Ferb'. And Logan helped entertain him with child-safe stories from when he was a pilot in the Navy; a fact that captivated Hunter.

On the way back to the loft, Logan suggested they stop at a big toy store to pick up another booster seat for their car, since they had to borrow one from the Family Services office, and maybe some LEGO for Hunter to play with while he was with them. While they wandered the store, Hunter became animated and started sharing things before they asked him any questions. In this way, they learned that his dad loved to make them breakfast on Sundays, his mom said he could get a dog when he turned 7-years-old, and his dad talked about moving to a different house with a big back yard.

Between the lack of sleep and the excitement of the past few hours, Hunter fell asleep on the way 'home'. Veronica went ahead to open the doors and turn off the alarm, and Logan carefully carried the sleeping child up three flights of stairs and into the loft. There was a moment where they realized they didn't really have a place for him, so Logan placed him on the couch and Veronica covered him with Mrs. Navarro's quilt from their bed. By the time Logan lugged the rest of the stuff upstairs, Veronica had passed out in their bed, fully clothed, with her boots still on. Very gently, he pulled off Veronica's boots without waking her. He then lay down next to her, himself fully clothed, and fell sound asleep.

Hunter's screams pierced their sleep sometime later. Veronica rocketed out of the bed, throwing her body in the direction of the crying. Logan was on her heels moments later. Veronica made it to Hunter and scooped up the crying child, into her arms. "It's okay. Hunter it's okay." She murmured her comfort. "I'm here. Logan's here. You are safe. You are safe." She continued, beginning to rock her brother while he sat on her lap. Logan put a hand on his back and rubbed it on circles, trying to get the boy to calm himself.

After a few minutes, the little boy raised his head from Veronica's shoulder and sniffled out a final small cry before composing himself. "Do you want to tell us about your dream, Hunter?" Logan said quietly. "It's okay. You are safe with us."

Hunter looked at Logan with big sad eyes. "I thought I woke up in the closet again." He said quietly.

"Did you fall asleep on the car ride to Neptune too?" Asked Logan.

Hunter nodded. "Mommy made me a little bed in the big closet and said I would sleep better if I was in the dark. She left the door open a bit so I wouldn't be scared."

Veronica closed her eyes. Her mother put her brother in the closet so she could be alone with her lover. The thought made her so angry she wanted to scream. "Thank you for telling us, Hunter." She said, her voice tight. "We want you to know you can tell us anything. We love you and want to help you." She said, and kissed the boy on the head. Hunter relaxed into her arms and the three of them stayed together, silently, for a time.

Hunter suddenly perked up, as if he found a thought lodged in the back of his head. "Logan? Do you have the LEGO we bought?" He asked.

Logan smiled. "Ahhh...you remembered. Would you like me to get it and we can play with it on the coffee table?"

Hunter jumped off Veronica's lap. "Yes, please!" He said eagerly.

"Let me get that for you." He said and ruffled the boy's hair as he got up to get the toy.

Soon, both of her boys were happily playing with the tiny bricks. Logan was tasked with building a car while Hunter was working on some strange flying contraption. Veronica had been tidying the loft, all the while obsessing over what Hunter had said. Finally, she walked over to the boys.

"I'm going to run downstairs and check on things at the office." She said. "Are you guys cool?"

Hunter looked at Logan with a big grin. "Yeah! He's cool." Hunter reported, making Logan laugh.

Veronica rolled her eyes. "I'll be back in a bit." She smiled and headed down the stairs.

One flight down, she entered the office of Mars Investigations. Their receptionist, Sandy, was sitting at her desk. When she saw Veronica, she jumped up and rushed over to her and enveloped her in a big hug. "Oh my god, Ms. Mars! When Mac told me about your mom I was so shocked and sad and I hope you're okay and that Mr. Echolls came back early but not to take any calls from the media and..."

Veronica cut off her eager staff. "Thank you, Sandy. Is Mac here?"

"Oh, yes! She's in her office!" Said Sandy as she fidgeted with the pencil in her hand.

Veronica smiled at the girl. "I'm confident that you will hold everything together while I am indisposed, Sandy."

Sandy smiled a big smile. "Thank you Ms. Mars. Just let me know how to help."

Veronica nodded to her and made her way to Mac's office. She knocked softly before she entered. Mac was staring at two computer screens. "Hey. How are you holding up?" She asked as Veronica flopped into the chair across from her.

"Shitty. My mom's dead. I have a five-year-old brother that I didn't know about that I am caring for. And Lamb has no leads." She sighed.

"So what are we doing about it, Bond?" She smiled at her friend.

Veronica put her hands over her eyes. "I need the works, Q." She began. "A full sweep to find anything that was in her name; Lianne Mars; Leanne Winters; Leanne Reynolds. Cell phones, credit cards, accounts, the works. Then I need lists of things she bought for the past six months and records of calls made from her home and cell number. I'll text you the info that I do have to give you a jumping off point."

Mac nodded. "Do YOU have any suspects?" She asked.

Veronica let out a sigh. "Jake Kane. He and my mother were lovers for a very, very long time. They used to meet at The Camelot."

Mac sucks in air between her teeth. "So you want me to start digging into Jake Kane?" She asked, hoping it wasn't true.

Veronica shook her head. "No. Just my mom for now."

"Okay." She said with relief. "What are you going to do about Jake then?"

Veronica got up and walked to the doorway. "I think Jake may need a more 'personal' touch." She said to her friend, then walked back home.


	4. Chapter 4

**Trigger warning: mentions of child abuse**

 **Sorry this chapter is a little "late". I got sidetracked writing a one-off for the VM Summer Lovin' challenge (which I will be posing in the next day or two.)**

 **For those of you looking for a quick resolution to this story, I will warn you, it may be a while. I really wanted to work on scenes that develop who Veronica and Logan are now and their lives as "partners" so there is going to be a lot of chapters that do just that.**

 **Thanks again for reading my work!**

Logan woke up the next morning, clutching the edge of their king-sized bed. Plastered against him was Veronica, sleeping soundly. He slowly slipped himself off his side and stood up. At one point, during the night, Hunter had woken up crying again and Veronica suggested that he climb into bed with them. Hunter was still sleeping soundly, in the shape of a big star, on an angle, taking up most of the bed. Logan shook his head and watched Veronica slide into the surface area he just vacated. He scratched at the stubble on his face and decided to start making coffee, not wanting to disturb the sleeping siblings.

It was strange to situation to be in and Logan was trying his best to not only figure out how to care for a five-year-old, but also gain his trust quickly so he would confide something to them about the night his mother died. He thought about how the night had gone as he began to make breakfast for everyone. He thought of how much fun they had with the toys they had bought, how they all cuddled up on the couch to watch cartoons, and how Hunter had been completely amused by random kitchen utensils as bath toys. It had only been one day, but Logan realized how protective he felt about the little addition to their lives.

Logan's heart started to beat faster as he thought Hunter being put in the closet by his mother. He remembered a night, when he was about Hunter's age, when Aaron first started abusing him. His mother had locked him in the closet to try and protect him after Logan had accidently spilled water from a vase of flowers all over Aaron's desk, destroying a stack of scripts. He remembered the screaming from his mother and the deep sound of her body hitting the wall as Aaron threw her across the room. Logan found himself clutching the edge of the counter, his head down and his eyes closed. He started sweating and his breath caught in his chest. He remembered being pulled out of the closet by Aaron so hard that he dislocated his arm from his shoulder. The searing pain of the first smack across his face, then the next, and then...

"Logan?" Veronica was standing behind him in their kitchen, her hand hovering near him but not touching him. Logan fought to keep control of his brain. He knelt so his head was now on the edge of the cool marble counter, which he still gripped for dear life. He felt Veronica kneel behind him and wrap her arms around him. "You're here with me. It's okay. You're safe." She whispered.

Slowly, his breathing started to even out. He slumped down to sit on the floor with Veronica. She wiped his brow with her hand. "What happened?" She asked quietly.

"Flashback to Aaron ." He whispered so their voices wouldn't carry in the loft and wake up Hunter. "The time my mom locked me in a closet to try and protect me from him."

Veronica moved towards him and kissed him on the forehead. "I'm so sorry, Logan. I never thought this may trigger a flashback for you." Over the years they had been together, she had witnessed several of his anxiety attacks, triggered by cases, movies, or watching the news. When he was in the Navy, his mind was always occupied or he was cut off from things that may trigger a flashback. When he left the Navy, it gave his mind the chance to wander back in time.

Logan reached out and gathered Veronica on his lap, holding her close to him. "What if Lianne put Hunter in the closet to protect him too?" He asked, leaning his cheek on her head.

Veronica was quiet. She was so used to thinking the worst of her mother that it never occurred to her that she was doing it to protect her son. "Maybe." She whispered, and started chewing on her lip. After some time on the floor together, Veronica started to fidget. She stood up and offered her hand to her boyfriend. He grabbed it an helped himself up. "You broke out into a sweat. Why don't you go have a shower and I'll make breakfast." She said, and kissed him softly on the lips.

He looked down at himself. Sweat had soaked through the t-shirt and sweats he had worn to bed. They both usually slept either completely naked or in their underwear, but with Hunter with them, they had both covered up for bed. Logan suddenly felt itchy under his clothes. He smiled down at Veronica. "This would normally be where I ask you to join me but..." He threw a glance towards their sleeping charge, who had now sprawled completely in the middle of their bed.

Veronica patted his arm. "I will scrub your back another time." She said and smiled up at him.

"I love Hunter, but man, kids really are a cock-block." He teased quietly.

Veronica chuckled. "Yeah. I've heard that about them. Good thing we don't normally have one around. It would seriously put a crimp in our sex life."

"The irony that THAT is how children happen in the first place..." Said Logan and he leaned in for another kiss. Veronica wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss.

"Veronica?" Came a small voice from the bed.

Veronica pulled out of the kiss quickly and spun to see Hunter stretching his body and yawning. She shrugged at Logan and walked over to the boy. "Good morning, sweetheart." She called out as she walked. Logan decided that was his cue to beat a hasty retreat to the bathroom to shower and take care of the lump that had suddenly appeared in his sweats.

Veronica sat on the edge of the giant bed and Hunter rolled over and cuddled up next to her. They had found out last night that he was a cuddly kid, like Veronica was at that age, and it was no surprise that he wanted to wake up that way. A few minutes passed and Hunter asked. "Where's Logan?"

Veronica ruffled his hair. "Taking a shower. I was just about to start making pancakes. Do you want to help?"

Hunter let out a little sigh and spoke quietly. "Mommy used to let me help her make pancakes too."

Veronica kissed the top of his head. "I used to make pancakes with her too. And waffles with ice cream. She used to let me put the blueberries in the pancakes when they were in the pan when I was your age."

"I can do that!" He exclaimed. He jumped off the bed and Veronica watched as he grabbed one of the dining room chairs and pushed it all the way over to the stove. Veronica shook her head and laughed. He was independent like she was at that age too. She moved towards the kitchen and started gathering all the ingredients while Hunter patiently waited for her. But the time Logan was done his shower and shave, the two had cooked up a mountain of blueberry pancakes for them.

As soon as he sat at the table, Hunter began devouring his breakfast at breakneck speed. "Slow down, little dude!" Said Logan. "What's the big hurry?"

Hunter looked from Veronica to Logan and back. "I have to eat fast so we can go see my dad." He said and stuffed more food in his mouth.

"Hunter." Veronica started. "We still don't know where your dad is. The social worker said that they MAY hear about where he is today, but that's not a sure thing."

"Oh." He said quietly, and dropped his fork, his head lowered in defeat.

Logan reached across the table and took one of his hands. "Hey. It's still early, though. Why don't we play around here a little and then go to the beach. Maybe they will hear something a little later in the day."

Hunter squeezed his hand and looked at Logan with his big blue eyes, and Logan melted. It wasn't fair the amount of pain this little boy was in. "Okay." Replied Hunter. "I don't feel like anymore pancakes. Can I go watch cartoons?"

Logan gave him big smile. "Sure, little buddy. I'll help you find something on television." Hunter jumped off his chair, still holding Logan's hand and they both went across the loft to find something on TV.

When Logan returned, Veronica was pushing her food around the plate. Logan sat down and started to finish his breakfast when Veronica started talking quietly to him. "Can you watch Hunter this morning while I follow a lead?" She said, still looking at her plate.

The lack of eye contact immediately made Logan suspicious. "What kind of lead?" He asked, softly.

"Jake Kane."

"No." Logan responded and continued to eat his pancakes.

Veronica looked up and hissed at him. "What do you mean 'no'?"

Logan looked back at her with hard eyes. "I mean, NO." He hissed back. "I will not watch your brother while you go, alone, to confront Jake Kane with your suspicions, without backup or evidence." He then stuffed a giant piece of pancake in his mouth to keep from saying any more.

Veronica looked at Hunter who was still watching cartoons and then back to Logan. "You don't get to tell me what to do." She murmured, her blood pressure rising.

"I do when you are about to do something stupid." He said, this time, holding her gaze. "Have you forgotten about Jake Kane's little friend Clarence Wiedman? Have you forgotten what happened when you broke into his house? Have you forgotten about how Aaron mysteriously put a bullet in the back of his own skull after being acquitted of Lily's murder? Because somehow, I think you need reminding."

"So you're saying I should let him get away with this too?" She spat.

"No." He said through clenched teeth. "What I AM saying is to give Mac some time to link him and your mom together that night. Then, go with ME to see him, not alone. Don't fly off in a rage and do more damage to the case and yourself." He looked over at Hunter. "Right now, we have a little boy who needs us. Let's focus on him and then, when we sort out things with his dad, we can focus more on the case. "

Veronica hated being told what to do. She also hated when Logan was right. And in this case, she found herself crazy mad. "I'm going for a shower!" She announced to everyone, stood up, and stormed off to the bathroom. Logan let out a deep sigh and shoved the rest of his pancakes away from him.

"Logan? Are you and Veronica mad at me?" Came a little voice behind him.

Logan closed his eyes and counted to three. He then pushed his chair back and came over to where Hunter was sitting on the couch. He sat down next to him and smiled a tight smile. "No. We're not mad at you, little dude. Veronica's mad at me because I told her it wasn't a good idea to do something. And Veronica doesn't like being told what to do, so she's mad at me." Logan explained as best he knew how.

Hunter nodded. "I don't like being told what to do either. My mommy didn't too. She told my daddy that all the time."

Logan leaned back on the couch. "What kind of things did your mommy not like to do?"

Hunter twisted his face and thought. "Daddy used to ask her what she did on nights he worked. She would tell him she didn't have to tell him."

Logan sensed he was on the verge of something. "What did your Daddy say about your trip to Neptune?"

Hunter dropped his head. "I don't know." He said quietly. "Daddy left for work a few days ago. I didn't see him before we went. Mommy just said we were going on vacation to see an old friend of hers and we left."

Logan felt his heart rise in his chest. "Did she tell you the name of her old friend?" He asked.

Hunter shook his head. "No. She didn't tell me his name."

"His?" Questioned Logan.

Hunter nodded. "Yeah." Then his lower lip started to quiver. "Logan? Am I going to get in trouble with my Daddy?"

Logan instinctually put his arm around Hunter. "Absolutely not. You did a great job telling me what you know. Why would you think you would be in trouble?"

Tears started to fall from the little boy's eyes. "Because my mommy said it would be our secret holiday and not to tell Daddy."

Logan wiped the tears from his face. "Little dude, you are not in trouble. In fact, can I tell you something about a secret I was told to keep when I was your age?" Hunter nodded so Logan continued. "My dad was a very mean man and he used to hit me. Hard. And a lot. And my mom and my dad told me never to tell anyone because it was a secret and I would get into more trouble. And you know what? I didn't tell anyone my secret. And you know what? I should have told someone. I should have told lots of people. When a grown up asks you to keep a secret for them, it's usually because they have done something they don't want anyone to know about. And it's better if you tell someone so they can help you...and them."

Hunter sniffled. "I'm sorry your Daddy was mean."

Logan looked down at Hunter with sad eyes. "Yeah. Me too."

"My daddy is really nice." He said. "I miss him."

Logan hugged the boy tightly. "I know you do. I'm looking forward to meeting him one day."

They were quiet for a few minutes until 'Phineas and Ferb' came on the cartoon rotation. Then Hunter started jumping up and down on the couch with excitement, insisting that Logan was very lucky and they needed to watch the episode together.

So when Veronica came out of the bathroom and found the boys laughing hysterically to the cartoon on television, she found it really hard to continue to stay mad at Logan. Instead, she wandered over to them, in her robe, and took a seat next to Logan. He put his arm around her shoulder and kissed the top of her wet head, enjoying the smell of her marshmallow shampoo.

The beach took everyone's mind off their problems for a time. Veronica enjoyed the opportunity to just play in the sand and surf. It reminded her of all the times she and Logan and Lily and Duncan would come out for the day. The boys would surf. Lily would convince Veronica to make sandcastles. They would devour greasy hot dogs for lunch and dinner. The beach was her happy place. Logan had made her leave her phone at home, which irritated her at first, but then realized it had been a good idea. Logan had made arrangements for Keith and Alicia to come and hang out with Hunter that afternoon, so he and Veronica could go into the office and work on Lianne's case. This seemed to ease Veronica's mood tremendously and she was able to go to the beach with a clearer head.

Keith and Alicia arrived at the loft while Veronica was showering the beach off of Hunter. When she came out of the bathroom with the boy, he hid behind her legs, seeing new people around.

"Hunter, this is my dad, Keith and my step-mom Alicia. They are going to take care of you for a little while so Logan and I can go downstairs and do some work." Said Veronica to her charge.

He peaked out and looked at them warily. Alicia went into full mom-mode and crouched down to his level. "Hi Hunter! It's so nice to meet you. You know, I had two little boys. They both really liked LEGO...do you like LEGO?"

Hunter came out a bit from behind Veronica. "Yes." He said quietly.

Keith bent down and pushed a large Rubbermaid container towards the boy. "Well then it's a good thing Alicia kept it all." He said and pulled the lid off the top. It was filled almost to the brim with lose LEGO bits.

Hunter gasped and ran to the bucket. "This is AWESOME!" He yelled and started sifting through it.

"Well, on that note, I'm going for a shower and to change out of my beach clothes." Veronica said and headed back to the bathroom.

Logan had spared no expense on the only walled room in the loft. A large shower with a bench and ten shower heads took up the corner of the room, with a big soaker tub against one wall. It was approximately the size of Veronica's bedroom in the old apartment she shared with her dad. She hung up her clothes and jumped into the shower, relishing both the water and the time alone.

Suddenly the door to the shower flung open and Logan joined her. He grabbed her up in his arms and kissed her hard. "We have to be quiet." He intoned into her ear, pressing her up against one wall of the shower. He grabbed her roughly under her ass and hoisted her up, her legs wrapping around his waist immediately. She reached down and grabbed his cock, positioning it at her opening. He thrust into her and they both gasped at the connection.

"Fuck, I've missed you so much." She whispered as she thrust her hips at him. They found their rhythm and rocked together, kissing passionately to keep from making too much noise. Logan reached down and began rubbing her clit while he thrust and Veronica came apart. Feeling her come set him off, and he kept his mouth on hers to keep from calling out.

After a minute, he loosened his grip on her and they stood under the water together. "We have to be quick." He laughed. "I told them I was getting dressed."

"So you didn't announce to our family that you were coming in here to have a quickie with me?" She teased and reached for the soap to wash the smell of sex and the beach off of herself.

Logan put his hand out and she handed the soap to him, taking a moment to hold her gaze over his naked body. "No. But Alicia did see me slip into the bathroom with my clothes and winked at me."

Veronica stepped past him and opened the door to the shower. "Then you'd better hustle, big boy!" She teased and wrapped a towel around herself.

The two of them got ready pretty quickly and when they emerged from the room, Hunter and Keith were still immersed in the LEGO while Alicia was in the kitchen area, cutting up some fruit for a snack for Hunter. Logan and Veronica went over to Hunter and Keith to see what Hunter was building and to say goodbye. As Logan knelt down, Hunter looked up and touched his wet hair. "Did Veronica have to help you wash your hair too after the beach?" He asked.

Logan avoided Keith's glare and coughed. "Yes. Sometimes I need help too." He remarked and turned to see Veronica put her face in her hands to hide her embarrassment. "We have to go downstairs and do some work now. Will you be okay with Keith and Alicia?"

Hunter got up and gave Logan a big hug. "Yeah. But I'll miss you guys."

Logan's heart pounder hard in his chest. "We'll miss you too." He said and hugged him back.

"Do I get one too?" Said Veronica as she knelt down next to Logan.

Hunter moved and hugged her too. "See you guys later!" He said and went back to playing.

Veronica and Logan stood up and walked to the door leading downstairs. "I think you have a little fan." She whispered.

"Good." Replied Logan as he opened the door for her. "Because I'm pretty sure your dad is not my biggest fan, right about now." And they walked down the stairs to the office.


	5. Chapter 5

A strange "shhhhhhhhh" sound accompanied Logan and Veronica when they opened the door to Mars Investigations. As they came into the lobby, Sandy started gesturing wildly towards the big leather couch across from her desk. There lay Mac, sound asleep, in the clothes she was wearing yesterday when Veronica last saw her.

The two approached Sandy and Veronica whispered. "Why is Mac asleep?"

Sandy looked concerned. "She was here all night working on stuff for your Mom's case. She finally hit the wall a few hours ago, but she knew she was meeting with you now ans wouldn't go home...so I convinced her to take a nap." She explained quietly. Even though Sandy was younger than the rest of them, she was the "mom" of the office – always taking care of everyone's needs. She had even placed her jacket over Mac to make sure she was warm.

"Don't worry. I'm getting up now." Said Mac. Her eyes were still closed.

"You didn't have to stay up all night, Mac." Veronica said, and walked over to their coffee maker to make her friend a cup.

Mac stretched and yawned. "If it were my mom, I know you guys would move mountains to solve her case."

"Thanks Mac. We appreciate it a lot. And be sure to charge us an insane amount of overtime on your next time sheet." Said Logan, leaning on the edge of Sandy's desk.

"How about you give me your BMW and we call it even." Smiled Mac as she sat up. Veronica walked over and handed her a coffee.

"Barking up the wrong tree, my friend. He'd sooner give you his first born than his beloved convertible." Veronica laughed.

"Since I'm not a fan of kids, I'm going to say 'pass'." Responded Mac with a laugh as she stood up. "I have everything out on the table in the meeting room." She said and started to walk past Sandy's desk and into the long room across the hall from their offices.

There were stacks of papers spread over the long oak table. Logan closed the door behind them but no one sat down. Mac started to circle the papers as Veronica walked up and hovered over the piles. Logan leaned against the wall and waited.

"So, the papers are everything I found, but here's a summary of my final conclusions." Mac began. "I found three credit cards in each of Lianne's names: Lianne Reynolds, Lianne Mars, and Lianne Winters. Two of them were still active. The one under Lianne Reynolds was closed within days of the one in the name Lianne Winters began. However, she kept the one that was for Lianne Mars for decades. The one under the name 'Winters' has mainly household purchases on it. The one under the name 'Mars' has very little activity on it. That is the one she used to pay for gas, food, lodgings as she traveled from Seattle to Neptune. The last purchase was paying for the room at the Camelot."

Veronica took a deep breath. "So she used it for things she didn't want her husband to know about.

"That's what it looks like." Mac concurred. "But there was also one other thing she used it for: to pay a cell phone bill. It looks like she has been paying it with her card for years." Mac reached over and took a piece of paper off a stack. "I was able to get the cell number from the account and when I ran a check on the phone, I hit the jackpot."

"Oh my god. What did you find?" Veronica spoke, her voice rising. She heard Logan move and stand beside her.

"She only ever used it to call or text one number. The same number for years. There is no name on the contact information in the phone and the number was registered to 'Joe Smith'."

Veronica's heart was pounding in her throat. "Did you hack to see if there were any texts or voice mails?"

Mac nodded. "There were pages and pages of texts, that went on for years, including rendezvous details, that happen at least once a year." Mac held out the page she was holding. Veronica's hand shook as she took it from her friend. "This was the last conversation she had via text."

Veronica and Logan stared at the paper and read:

 _He's leaving town for a week. I can come out._

 _Great. I am in town. Text me details. Can't wait to be with you._

 _Can't find someone to take H. Can't come._

 _Bring him. Will think of something._

 _Leaving tonight. See you in a few days._

 _Drive safely. I love you._

 _I love you._

 _I'm here. Made great time._  
 _Tried calling. Where are you?_

 _Where are you?_

 _Where do you think? Our room. #7 at the Camelot. See you soon_.

Veronica looked at the paper like it was going to burst into flames. The last communication from her mother. To a man that wasn't her husband. While she had her son with her. She closed her eyes for a moment, the anger swelling inside of her like a balloon. "What is the number of the person she is contacting?" Veronica said through gritted teeth.

"Veronica..." Logan began.

"Where is the number, Mac?" She hissed again opening her eyes. There was a fierceness Mac had never seen before.

Mac reached for a page, took her pen and circled a number. She quickly handed it to Veronica. Veronica scanned it and saw that it was a log of all of the numbers and aliases connected to her mother's case.

Veronica reached into her back pocket and took out her cell phone. She threw a look over her shoulder at Logan. He lifted his hands and backed away a step, knowing what she was about to do. She activated her phone and tapped in the number. Her thumb hovered for a moment before she pressed the CALL button. Closing her eyes again, she pressed the little green phone symbol and brought the phone up to her ear. It rang, and rang, and rang until an automated message came on and it went to voice mail. She disconnected it and dialed again. It went to voice mail quicker this time. She dialed again. And again. Until finally, the call connected. There was silence on the other end.

"Jake." She said calmly.

There was a deep breath on the other end. "Veronica. I was wondering when you'd find out." The unmistakable sound of Jake Kane's voice coming through the receiver.

She turned and looked at Logan. He nodded his encouragement. "We need to talk."

There was silence for a moment. "Fine. In a few days."

"NO!" Veronica burst out. "We meet today. We meet now! Or I go to the Sherriff and the media with what I know!" She growled into the phone.

"And what do you know?" He asked calmly.

"Meet me and find out." She hissed.

There was some background noise and shuffling.. "Fine. Celeste won't be back until tomorrow. Come to my house and we'll talk. I believe you know the address. Try to use the front door this time."

Veronica's blood boiled. "I'll be over within the hour." She said.

"I will see you then." Jake said and disconnected the call.

Veronica put her phone down on the desk. Bracing herself on the edge of the table, she dropped her head, angry tears jumping to her eyes. Logan stepped behind her and put his hands on her shoulders as they bobbed up and down. Mac quietly shuffled past the couple and slipped out of the room, closing the door behind her. Veronica turned around and wrapped her arms around Logan while she continued to cry. Finally, she pulled back and wiped her face with her hands.

"All these years. She still couldn't stay away from him. Another husband. Another child. And she still couldn't stay away." She said quietly.

Logan kissed her forehead. "Promise you won't freak out if I say something?"

She looked up at him, still in his arms. "I promise. What do you want to say?"

Logan steadied himself. "How are they any different from us? You hadn't heard anything from me or about me in almost 10 years, and when Dick called you, you came running to my rescue. You didn't care you had a career or a home or a fiancé..."

"Fuck you." She spat. "I'm NOTHING like her."

Logan held her tighter. "No. You're not. Because you didn't go back to that fiancé and that life. You didn't run away from love. And neither did I. I once told you that our story was epic..."

"...lives ruined; bloodshed..." She said quietly.

He took a deep breath. "All I'm saying, is try and think about it: why would Jake Kane kill the only woman he has probably, ever truly loved?"

Veronica put her head on Logan's chest, listening to the sound of his heartbeat. It was true. She knew in her heart what he said was true. She knew that she loved Logan beyond the edge of rational thought. She never considered that her mom could feel that way about anyone.

"I still want to talk to him." She said an pulled away from Logan, wiping the rest of her tears.

"Then we'll go and talk to him. But I still don't like the idea of you going alone." He reached for her hand and she let him take it.

"We'll both go." She managed a weak smile. "But I want to tell Hunter we are leaving the building and freshen up my make-up first."

Logan pushed a stray hair off her face. Her face and eyes were red and puffy and her mascara was running. He still thought she was beautiful, despite her sorrow.

She lifted his hand to her lips and kissed his knuckles gently. She kept holding his hand as she led him out of the room and back to their home.

Standing outside the doors to the new Kane residence made both Veronica and Logan uneasy. It made them both think of all the times they would show up to the old house, to hang out with Lilly and Duncan. Now they were left with the ghost of Lilly and the shadow of Duncan in their minds. They were the last ones standing.

The door opened and Clarence Weidmen was standing before them. His hair had turned grey, he now wore glasses, and his face was chiselled with lines; but it was still him. His face was serious. "Well, Veronica Mars and Logan Echolls; two people I was hoping never to see again."

"Hey C.W...did ya get demoted to butler sometime in the last decade?" Jackass Logan making a long lost appearance.

Wiedman regarded the two. "Mr. Kane and I decided that leaving either of you alone for a minute in his home would be a mistake, which means I am with you for your entire visit. Understood?"

Veronica sighed. "While this has been a lovely reunion, I want to get this over with. Where is Jake?"

The door opened wider and Wiedman jestured for them to enter. "Down the hall. Last door on your right." He said.

Veronica led the way, followed by Logan and Wiedman. The door was open and Veronica walked in. Jake Kane was sitting behind a giant carved desk. Even though it was the afternoon, the blinds were drawn and it was dark in the room. Jake looked up from his desk but didn't rise. Out of the corner of her eye, Veronica saw something that made her stop in her tracks. Above the giant fire place were he two portraits of Lilly and Duncan she first saw all those years ago. A cold chill went down her back and she wondered if Jake had chosen this room specifically to throw them off balance.

It looked like his plan had worked with Logan. Veronica looked over at him. His mouth was agape, his eyes fixed on Lilly's smiling face. The portrait was so life like that it was as if she was hovering above their heads. He reached up and ran the palm of his hand over his eyes to wipe the image from his corneas. He turned to Veronica, his jaw locked, his face clouded over. He knew what Jake was up to as well, and it worked. "Let's get this over with, Jake." He said and stepped closer to the desk with Veronica by his side.

"Logan. Veronica. Please sit down." The two looked at each other and sat in the big leather arm chairs across the desk from Jake. "It certainly has been a while..." He said and looked at the portraits of his children, then back to them.

"Let's cut to the chase, Jake. I know you were still seeing my mom. I know you were supposed to meet her at the Camelot that night. What I don't know is why you would kill her?" Veronica launched across the table.

Jake looked stricken. "I didn't kill her! I would NEVER hurt Lianne! I loved her!"

Veronica scoffed. "Okay. Then maybe you got your little friend here to do it." She gestured towards Weidman. "Was she threatening you? Blackmail perhaps? Help me out, Jake. I need to know what happened to my mother!" She hissed at him.

Jake put his head in his hands. When he looked up, there were tears in his eyes. "I don't know! I don't know what happened! When I got there, she was on the ground, bleeding. Someone had..." He started choking back tears. "...someone had hit her in the head with something. There was blood everywhere. There was nothing I could do! There was nothing I could do..."

Veronica took a sharp intake of breath. She never bothered to get the details of how her mother died, because she didn't want to know. But now she realized...she was killed...just like Lilly. "So you were there." She said quietly.

Jake nodded. "I was the 'unknown man' who called the ambulance. And then I left. I left her like I did so many times." He was starting to lose control of his emotions as grief started to set in. The image of him screaming on the road as they took away Aaron Echolls for Lilly's murder flashed in Veronica's mind.

"What about Hunter. I saw in your texts that you knew she was bringing her son. Did you see or hear him?" She asked, trying to use his weakened state to get more information from him.

"I didn't see or hear him. I was in such shock that I didn't even remember he was there with her until I read about it in the news." Jake explained.

"Can you tell me if there was anything that was strange or out of the ordinary?" Veronica pushed.

Jake blinked. "She called me from the road, because she lost cell phone reception. She said that they were running behind and not to meet her until 11 pm. She usually just texted me."

Veronica nodded. She had seen the texts after that so the story matched up with the time line. "Is there anything else that you want to share with me?" She asked hesitantly.

Jake took a deep breath. "I hope you find whoever did this. I know that you won't believe me but I did...I do love her."

Veronica shook her head. "Yeah. You loved her alright. Just not enough. Not enough to divorce Celeste. Not enough to have stood by her in the first place. And now what are you left with, Jake?"

Jakes eyes diverted to the pictures of Lilly and Duncan. "It all started to unravel when Lilly died, didn't it." He said quietly.

Veronica stood up. "No Jake, it all started to unravel when you fucked Celeste and got her pregnant with Lilly, all the while you were in love with my mother. There was a time that I thought you were my father, for God's sake! Don't you care how many lives you ruined? This was not some epic love story. This was just you and your greed and your lust destroying everything in your path." She looked at Logan and then at Jake. "Neither Lilly or Duncan knew how to love. They just knew how to take. You and Celeste did a great job of teaching them that."

Logan stood up and put his hand gently on her arm. "We should go." He said.

Veronica pulled one of her business cards out of the side pocket of her purse and dropped it on the edge of the desk. "If you want to help find my mother's killer, here's how to get a hold of me." She turned towards the door, throwing a look of distain towards Wiedman. Logan followed on her heels. They both made it down the hall and out the front door in record time. Logan jumped into the driver's seat and they sped off.

About a block away from the mansion, Veronica grabbed Logan's arm. "Stop the car!" She yelled. Taking the command, he stopped the car by the side of the road and Veronica launched herself out of the door. She pulled back her hair just in time to puke into the bushes of some random mansion. Logan came up behind her quickly, kneeling down and taking her hair from her hands. When she was sure the contents of her stomach were gone, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and turned around. Logan gathered her up in a warm embrace. "Are you okay?" He asked.

She nodded into his chest. "You have panic attacks when you're overwhelmed by memories; I barf." She was shaking slightly and Logan shifted them so they were sitting in the grass together.

He kissed her forehead and pressed his cheek to her. "Anything in particular..."

Veronica closed her eyes to keep from barfing again. She was quiet for a moment as she steadied herself. "Everything. It was like everything that happened when we were teenagers just came at me, all at once. Lily. Duncan. My mom. My dad. Aaron. Us. Everything."

"I love you." He murmured.

"I love you too." She said. She turned her head and was about to give him a kiss when she remembered she had just tossed her lunch. "Rain check on the kiss?" She said and covered her mouth.

He laughed. "No complaints here!" Logan stood up and offered her his hand. She took it and pulled herself up. They both took a moment to brush the grass off themselves. As they got back to the car, Veronica heard her phone ringing. She pulled it out of her purse and her heart jumped.

"Veronica Mars." She answered quickly, waiving for Logan not to start the car just yet.

"Ms. Mars. This is Rosemary from the Family and Children's Services office. We found Hunter's father!" She exclaimed.

"That is wonderful news. What happened? Why did it take so long to find him?" She asked.

"It seems that Mr. Winters was on a business trip, travelling around small towns in Italy...not really an area with a lot of cell phone access. He said he and a group of other restaurateurs do it every few years to look for new ideas for their restaurants. He has been informed of what happened and is flying back to the U.S. as soon as he can make arrangements." She explained.

"Hunter misses him terribly. When will he get into town?" She looked at Logan who was staring at her intently.

"It may be another day or so. By the time he flies in, talks to the police, and then to us, it may take some time." Rosemary informed her.

"Alright. Please keep us in the loop and let us know when you expect him." Said Veronica.

"I will Ms. Mars. I will be in touch." And Rosemary disconnected the call.

Veronica looked down at her phone for a minute before throwing it in her purse. "They found Hunter's dad?" Asked Logan.

Veronica sighed. "Yes. He was travelling in Italy on business. He will be back in a few days." She said.

Logan leaned over and kissed the side of her head. "Well, then we'll have to take Hunter and Keith and Alicia to Mama Leone's then for dinner. He can't go home without eating at our favourite restaurant at least once!" And he started the car.

Veronica leaned back in her seat. This day definitely called for a mountain of pasta and tiramisu. Her stomach rumbled happily at the thought of replacing the food she just lost. She put her hand on Logan's leg. "That's a great idea." She said and smiled.

 **chapter end notes**

 **For those of you who know your VM episodes, you'll remember that Veronica makes the joke about C.W. being "demoted" when he answers the door. I realized that I gave this line to Logan this time, when I went back to the episode to check on something. Kept it in because I thought it was something Jackass Logan would say to try and get under his skin.**


	6. Chapter 6

Between the yummy carbs and the time with her family, she got back to the loft with Logan and Hunter feeling like herself again. The plan for the rest of the evening included a bath for Hunter and a Disney movie on Netflix. Logan made popcorn and snacks and Veronica gave Hunter his bath. While he was swimming in the big tub, they had some quiet time to talk.

"Hunter. I have some exciting news." She said happily.

He sloshed himself closer to her, emptying a wave of water out of the tub in the process. "What is it? Is it more LEGO?"

"Better! They found your dad. He was on a business trip to Italy, that's why they couldn't find him. But he's on his way here to see you." She answered.

Hunter started splashing the water happily. "Yeah! I can't wait! When will he be here? Can we take the red Hummer to the airport to see him? Will he stay with us? Can I keep the Lego Logan bought me?"

Veronica laughed at how the mind of a 5-years-old worked. "He will be here in a few days, because it takes some time to fly from Italy. He will probably meet us here, but we wanted to take you to the San Diego Zoo tomorrow, so maybe we can take the Hummer there. He will probably want to stay at a hotel, so Logan offered to put him up at the Neptune Grand so you can be together. Yes, you can keep the Lego Logan bought you."

Hunter pursed his lips in thought. "Will my daddy find me at the Zoo?"

Veronica rubbed his wet hair. "He may not be here tomorrow, but the zoo is a good way for us to spend the day together while we wait for him. My daddy took me all the time when I was little. What do you think?"

"I like the zoo! Does Logan like the zoo?" Said Hunter.

"I'm sure he will like it. I don't know if he's gone before." She mused to the boy.

"Logan told me his daddy was mean. I don't think mean people take their kids to the zoo." Replied Hunter, his brow furrowed.

Veronica gave him a small smile. "We will have to ask him. Let's get out of the tub. He probably has the popcorn ready and the movie cued up."

Hunter happily scrambled out of the tub and into the big fluffy towel. While Veronica drained the water and took out the kitchen utensil toys the boy took off through the loft in his towel, yelling. "LOGAN! HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO THE ZOO? WE ARE GOING TOMORROW! CAN WE DRIVE THE RED HUMMER THERE?"

Veronica shook her head. She took a spare towel and began dragging it with her foot along the wet path created by Hunter's dripping wet run across the loft. The water ended near the couch where Logan was helping Hunter into his pajamas. "I haven't been to the zoo since I was younger. Veronica may not have remembered but she and I went with a big group of our friends when we were teenagers." He looked over Hunter's shoulder and winked.

Veronica flopped down on the couch, leaving the dirty towel on the floor with the one Hunter doffed. "Oh! I almost forgot about that! Duncan was bitten by a peacock and Lilly kept tormenting the monkeys. I think we were 14 years old...your mom arranged for us tp take your parent's limo."

He put his arm around her and kissed her forehead. "Well, tomorrow we will ride in the Hummer."

Hunter jumped up on the couch and started jumping up and down. "Yeah!" He then dropped down onto the pillow on his bum and scampered across Logan to sit between him and Veronica.

Veronica leaned towards the coffee table and grabbed the big bowl of popcorn, setting it down on Hunter's lap. "Hey! Look! Kids make good popcorn bowl holders!" She said to Logan.

Logan smacked his forehead. "And I thought all they did was poop and eat. I guess they are good for something."

Hunter looked at the two adults with glee. "You guys should get a kid. Then you won't be lonely when I go back home."

Veronica and Logan looked at each other. Logan had a mischievous grin that made Veronica blush deeply to her toes. "But Hunter," He said. "You are the coolest kid ever. How could we ever expect to have a cooler kid than you?"

Hunter looked at them seriously. "That's okay. I'll teach them to be cool."

Veronica kissed the top if her brother's head. "Thanks for the offer, little bro. Are you ready to watch the movie?" She said, grabbing the remote, hoping to change the topic.

"Uh huh!" He said happily and shoved a handful of popcorn in his mouth.

Veronica was still avoiding Logan's eyes as the movie started. She silently hoped this was the last of the 'baby talk' tonight.

Hunter fell asleep on the couch just before the end of the movie. Logan held him as Veronica made his bed on the couch, then they tucked him in. The boy was sleeping so hard that small snoring sounds were coming out of his open mouth.

Logan cleaned up and locked up while Veronica got ready for bed. By the time he came out of the bathroom, Veronica was in her pajamas, the covers pulled up to her shoulders. This was 'leave me alone' Veronica at her finest. He pulled back the covers and slid inside the cocoon to join her.

"Goodnight Bobcat." He said quietly.

"Goodnight Logan." Came a little voice from her side of the bed, her back turned to his side.

He let out a long sigh. He knew sex was off the table with Hunter so nearby but he wasn't expecting a complete shutout. He started going through his head, thinking about anything that he may have done to upset her today. "I'm sorry." He said.

"For what?" She asked.

"For whatever has made you mad at me." He answered quietly.

Veronica rolled over to face him and planted a soft kiss on his mouth. "I'm not mad."

Logan reached out and lovingly touched her cheek. "Then talk to me. Why are you so closed off?"

She couldn't meet his eyes. "Do you want kids?" She asked.

Logan gave his head a shake. This was not the conversation he was expecting. "I don't know. I mean, I really haven't thought about it. Have you?"

Veronica shook her head. "No. I never really thought about it. But should we?"

Logan rolled onto his back. "I guess we should at least talk about it. We never really have. I mean, I just kind of assumed if you wanted kids then we would have them."

"Then it's all up to me? Gee. Thanks." She rolled her eyes.

"No. What I mean is, it's kind of all up to you, you know...you carry it, you birth it, you feed it...a lot of this is on you and your body. That's why I thought it would be kind of your decision." He turned his head to look at her.

She thought about what he said. "What if I say I don't want kids. Does that matter to you?"

He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Not at all. I like our life. If we add a baby to it, great! If we don't, we still have a great life together." He watched her changing expressions as she thought about it. "Do YOU want us to have a baby?" He asked quietly.

She looked up in his soft eyes. "I don't know. Honestly, I didn't really think about it until Hunter came around. I kind of thought I wouldn't have kids, but now..."

"So what changed?" He asked.

"You." She said quietly. "I never thought I could ever want a baby. But the way you are with Hunter just makes my uterus do flip flops. It's like some sort of primitive instinct that tells me 'Go mate with that one! He will be good father.'"

Logan started laughing. "I think that's the best compliment you have ever paid me."

Veronica laughed as well. "It's crazy! I want to ravage you every time I see you with Hunter, and yet, I can't because he is here."

Logan slid himself over to Veronica and kissed her deeply. "Well, anytime you want me to put a baby in you, just let me know."

Veronica kissed him back. "Okay. I will warn you, it may be a few years from now. I'm still juggling this new feeling around in my head. Is that cool?"

"Take all the time you need. Me and my sperm will be waiting for our call into action." He said as he rolled on his back again and tucked his hands under his head.

She swatted him playfully and came to curl up at his side, wrapping her arm over and round him. This is how they slept for most of the night, until Hunter crawled into bed and shoved himself between them.

The San Diego Zoo was even better than Veronica remembered it. Or maybe it was just because she was seeing it through a five-year-old's eyes. Around every corner there was a new level of excitement for Hunter, and Logan and Veronica eagerly found themselves swept up in Hunter's happiness. The first half of the day, he happily ran from exhibit to exhibit. After lunch, the decision was made that Logan would carry him on his shoulders to give him a break now and then. And at around 4:00, after a full day of excitement, he fell asleep in Logan's arms on the way to the Hummer. They carefully buckled the boy into his car seat and drove back to Neptune.

When they were on their way, Veronica rifled around in her purse to find her cell phone, wanting to look through the hundreds of photos she took that day. There was a message alert that Rosemary had called sometime while they were walking back to the car from the zoo. Veronica quickly checked her message.

"Hello Ms. Mars. This is Rosemary calling. I just wanted to let you know that Hunter's father arrived in Neptune a few hours ago. He has spoken to us and he is currently talking to the police. He was very anxious to see Hunter so we gave him your contact information so he will get in touch with you when he is done with the police. Please call me to confirm you have received this message. Thank you."

Veronica looked at Logan, who had his eyes on the road. "That was Rosemary. Hunter's dad is in town. I have to call her back."

Logan smacked his head with his hand. "Oh shit! We weren't supposed to take him out of the city!"

Veronica took a deep breath. "Oh yeah! We totally suck...I totally forgot about that. I won't say anything when I call her."

"Smart move." He said and muttered something to himself.

Veronica called the number displayed for Rosemary and she answered it on the first ring. "Hello?"

"Hello Rosemary! This is Veronica Mars. I got your message. That is fantastic that Hunter's father is in town already."

"Yes. He was able to catch a flight shortly after we talked and made it back in record time. He is over at the police station now, but he will contact you when he is out. The poor man is positively bereft over what has happened."

Veronica closed her eyes. She felt so sad for a man she had never met. "We will expect his call. We are just out getting something to eat, but should be home soon."

"Thank you Ms. Mars. Again, my condolences to your entire family." Replied Rosemary.

"Thank you Rosemary. Goodbye." And she said and disconnected the call. She then put her hands over her face and groaned.

Logan reached over and put a hand reassuringly on her leg. "You okay?" He asked.

She let out a deep breath. "Yeah. I'm glad we found his dad but I don't really look forward to that awkward moment of meeting my step-dad. My poor, cheated on, newly widowed step-dad."

"So what's the plan then?" He questioned.

Veronica made a face and her stomach gurgled. "Drive through burgers then home."

Logan looked into the rear view mirror at the sleeping boy. "Should we tell him?"

Veronica shook her head. "No. We don't know when his dad will contact us. It will just work him up. Let's wait."

Logan turned his sad eyes to the road again. Their little vacation from reality had come to an abrupt end.

The intercom buzzed at 7:15 pm, making everyone in the loft jump. Logan and Hunter were playing Lego and Veronica was sitting at the kitchen table with the laptop, uploading the photos from the day to the computer. Logan eyed Veronica. "I'll see who it is." He said and walked over to the monitor by the door. He turned on the camera feed. Outside their door was a scruffy looking older man, his hair salt and pepper, his beard the same colouring. "Can I help you?" Logan said in a gruff voice to the stranger.

"I'm sorry. I'm looking for Veronica Mars?" Said the man as he scratched his beard, not realizing he was on camera. "My name is Gareth Winters. She should be expecting me?"

"DADDY!" Screamed Hunter and he ran to the monitor.

"HUNTER?" Gareth called and looked around for his voice.

"I'm buzzing you in." Said Logan. Hunter was jumping up and down beside Logan and Veronica quickly was at his side. Logan opened the door and they watched as Gareth sprinted, two stairs at a time, up to the loft. Hunter could barely contain himself and the boy launched himself down the stairs at his father. The two met a few feet away from the top in a big embrace. Gareth crumpled on the step, tears flowing as he held his son in his lap and rocked him. Hunter started crying as well, for his missing father, for his dead mother, for everything he had gone through.

At the top of the stairs, Veronica wrapped her arms around Logan, tears falling for her brother. Even Logan was overcome, and he choked back tears. Soon, as their crying started to subside, Gareth picked up his son and carried him to the top of the stairs. He extended his hand to Veronica. "You must be Veronica. I'm Gareth Winters."

"So glad to finally meet you, Gareth." She said and extended her hand. "This is my partner Logan Echolls." She said. Gareth extended his hand to Logan and the two men shook. "Please. You must be exhausted. Come and sit down." She extended her hand towards the couch.

Gareth nodded. "Thank you. I am. This has been one long nightmare. As it probably has been for you too."

Veronica looked at Hunter curled up in his father's arms. "It has, but getting to know my brother has been a wonderful bright light in all of this."

They all wandered over to the couch and sat. Hunter popped his head up from his dad's chest. "Look daddy, Logan and I were playing Lego!" He said and pointed to the coffee table littered with little pieces.

Gareth smiled and kissed his sons head. "I see! It's great that Logan knows how to play Lego."

Hunter looked up at his dad with a serious face. "He didn't really. I had to teach him."

Logan shrugged. "It's true. Know how to fly jet planes; do NOT know how to play Lego. Thanks for the help little dude." And he gave Hunter a thumbs up.

Gareth watched the exchange seriously. "Thank you so much, both of you. After all that happened with you and your mother, Veronica, I wouldn't have thought you would do this for us. But it looks like Hunter was happy and cared for by you both." He looked down again and notice his son was already in his pajamas. "I can't tell you how much it means to me...under the circumstances..." He started to get choked up.

Veronica reached over and put her hand on Gareth's shoulder. "Hunter is my family. Of course we would help." She said quietly.

Gareth was working hard as not to break down again in front of his son. "Thank you. You know, your mother loved getting updates on how you were doing. She would read them to me and she would talk about things she remembered about you when you were younger."

Veronica released her hand and sat back into the couch. "My relationship with my mother wasn't the best..." She started.

"I know." He said. "But you have to know that she loved you, as best she knew how." His voice trailed at the end of the sentence.

Logan interjected. "Maybe we can talk about this more tomorrow. Gareth, if you would like, I have reserved a room at the Neptune Grand hotel for you and Hunter to stay in for the next little while, until you decide when you want to go back home."

"NO!" Yelled Hunter. "I don't want to go to a hotel!" He exclaimed and wrapped himself around his father again. Gareth looked horrified.

"It's okay, Hunter. You guys can stay with us. You don't have to go to a hotel if it scares you." Veronica interjected and she knelt down by her brother. She reached out and petted his hair reassuringly.

Gareth whispered. "The police told me what happened with Hunter in the hotel room."

Veronica looked sadly at her step-father. Was he always this grey or did it grow on the flight over from Italy? This was the kind of situation that could make a person's hair turn white overnight.

"We can push the two pieces of the sectional together and you and your dad can sleep here for a while, if you want, Hunter." Explained Logan.

Hunter poked his head out for a second and nodded. "Yes. Can we do that?" He said and then hid in his dad's arms again.

"I don't mind if we stay here, Hunter. As long as it's not too much trouble..." Gareth began.

Veronica waived her hands. "Oh no. It's no trouble at all. Did you leave your bags at the airport?"

Gareth looked around. "Oh. I must have forgotten it at the bottom of the stairs! I was so excited to see Hunter that I ran upstairs without it."

Logan raised his hand. "I've got it!" He said and sprinted for the door.

"Okay Hunter. We will stay." He looked down at his son. He was shocked to find him asleep in his arms. "I guess it is his bedtime." Gareth chuckled.

Veronica continued to pet the boy's head. "He hasn't been sleeping well. And we took him to the zoo for the day, so he's still exhausted from that. I think he's just so relieved to be back with his dad that he let himself go."

Logan returned from retrieving the luggage and locked up. He looked over to see Hunter asleep in Gareth's arms and smiled. "Looks like Hunter is out for the night." He remarked as he approached. "If you guys stand up, I'll move the couch and we can put him down to sleep."

"Good idea." Said Gareth and he lifted his boy up and stood out of the way.

Veronica grabbed one part of the sectional and together, she and Logan quickly moved things into place, taking off the extra pillows and setting up Hunter's pillow, blanket, and stuffies just how he liked them. Gareth then lay the boy down on the makeshift bed and kissed his head tenderly. Hunter let out a contented sigh and buried himself into the covers. The three took a moment to watch the little boy sleep, each of them happy that he was feeling safe.

"Gareth, if you want to take a shower or a bath and get comfortable, please feel free to use our bathroom. Make yourself comfortable." Said Veronica and put a hand on his shoulder.

Gareth dropped his head. "Yes. I think I most definitely need a shower. Thank you for you hospitality." He said and picked up his bag.

"Let me show you where it is and get you some towels." Logan said as he picked up the suitcase and patted Gareth on the back. The two men crossed the loft and disappeared behind the bathroom door.

Veronica took a deep breath and looked at her little brother again. "Sleep tight, little brother." She whispered, and turned towards the kitchen to make some food for the three adults.

By the time Gareth had showered, Veronica had prepared a bunch of fruits and vegetables and laid them out on the kitchen table. Logan had put out extra pillows and blankets on the couch. They were sitting at the table talking and drinking ice tea when Gareth walked up to them. He sat down next to Logan so he could face Veronica.

"Do you mind if ask you some questions Veronica? The police did more questioning than answering." Asked Gareth.

"As long a you don't mind us asking you a few questions. I don't know if my mom told you but Logan and I own a private investigation firm. We have started looking into my mother's murder, since the police are doing nothing." She remarked.

Gareth looked between the two. "I'm so happy to hear that. The Sherriff seemed pretty upset that he couldn't pin this on me. I left days before it happened, I was traveling with people, and I have a date-stamped passport, and the man STILL kept trying to get me to confess to something I didn't do!"

Veronica took a deep sip of her iced tea. "That's because the only other suspect is the most powerful man in town."

Gareth covered his eyes with his hands, his elbows on the table. "Please don't say that Jake Kane did this. Please don't. I had hoped beyond hope that she was here to see you...not that man."

Veronica and Logan looked at each other, both in shock. "You knew about Jake?" She sputtered.

Gareth uncovered his eyes. They were moist with tears. "Trust me. If I wanted to kill Lianne, I would have done so the night I came home from a trip, three days early, and found him in bed with her. In my home"

A pained look crossed Logan's face. Veronica was just mortified. "When did that happen?" She whispered, barely able to get the words out.

Gareth folded his hands together. "Just over a year ago. If it wasn't for Hunter, I would have left that night. But she swore to me it was over. We went to counselling. She kept going to AA with me. We tried to work past it." He sighed. "But Lianne could never admit that there was something stronger than her addition to alcohol that she needed to address...she was addicted to that man. No matter what she did, she just could not break her attachment to him."

"I'm sorry." Veronica said quietly and looked at the table.

"For what?" Questioned Gareth. "Lianne was your mother, but you had no control over how she acted. No one had any influence on her except him."

Veronica looked up, with tears in her eyes. "I still can't get over the fact that she brought Hunter with her. Why would she do that?"

Gareth shrugged. "As a recovering adict I can tell you: addicts will do whatever they need to get their 'fix'. This was no different. It's terrible and sad and he will probably be scared for life, but an addict doesn't think about that...they are too focused on fulfilling their need."

Veronica's mind started counting the ways in which she was scared by her mother's addictions. Fear and sadness washed over her as she thought about what her brother would have to deal with in the coming years.

Logan saw her face and recognized her look. He reached over and took her hand gently. "We've been trying to get Hunter comfortable enough to open up to us about what happened but he hasn't volunteered much."

Gareth looked over at his son and shook his head solemnly. "Maybe tomorrow I can talk to him with you both around. Maybe he will open up if I'm asking the questions."

Veronica sighed. "Gareth, I know this has been an ordeal for you. Logan and I were going to work on the case after Hunter went to bed tonight. Our office is on the floor just below this one. We were going to bring the files up here, but we can head downstairs and give you some privacy if you want to unwind and regroup from today. I made all this food in case you were hungry and feel free to eat anything you find in the kitchen." Veronica rose frim her seat, as did Logan.

Gareth stood up and walked around to meet Veronica as she passed the other side of the table. She was shocked when he reached out and gathered her in a hug. "Thank you. I honestly don't know what I would do right now without yours and Logan's support."

Veronica froze for a moment then returned the hug. "You are family now. We are here for you both." She said and he released her from his embrace. She took Logan's hand and they made their way out the door just as Gareth went to sit with his child again.

They walked the flight of stairs down, hand and hand, releasing momentarily when Logan used his key to open the door. He held the door to let her in first. The entire place was quiet and empty. The setting sun cast a beautiful amber light through the main windows. "Mac?" Veronica called out, but was met with silence.

Logan locked the door and started towards the light switch. "Mac said she left the files on your desk..."

His progress was stopped by Veronica pressing her lips on his passionately. When she pulled back, he was still in shock. "Make love to me." She said quietly. "Make me forget all this ugliness and pain for a while. Please."

Logan picked her up and she wrapped her legs around him, their mouths crashing into each other. He spun them around until they hit the wall next to the door. Bracing herself against the wall, she started pulling at his t-shirt, hungry to be closer to him. She ran her hands up his chest as they continued to kiss, grinding her thumb over one of his nipples. He let out a groan and shifted one hand behind her back. Releasing them off the wall, he spun again and turned towards the back of the office. Finding the room he was seeking, he used his hand to grope for the door knob. The force of their bodies propelled them into the room when the door opened. Logan caught them just as they came to the edge of the oak meeting room table.

He released Veronica from his grip, depositing her on the desk, pulling back from their kiss. They were both panting with need. He pulled his t-shirt off over his head and then did the same for her. She wasn't wearing a bra underneath and he dropped his head to take one of her nipples in his mouth. Her moan was an exquisite release of tension and she felt herself falling into the sensation. He kissed his way along her chest and lavished some attention on the other nipple with his tongue, twisting and turning it in his mouth. Veronica arched her back and gave in to the pleasure. "Logan. Please, Logan, please." She whispered into the darkness.

Logan began trailing kisses down her stomach, ending at the top of her yoga pants. Hooking his fingers along the waistband, he swept the fabric off of her, along with her panties, in one fluid motion. He was now down on his knees in front of her. Watching him from her perch, Veronica slowly opened her legs, revealing her soft mound to him. She relished the look on his face as he sat there, transfixed by the her body, his eyes darkening with lust. His sexy smile appeared as he took his fingers and spread her lips, showing him her pink, glistening core, making a deep purring sound in his throat at the sight. It never ceased to amaze her how he always acted like it was their first time together, her body still a great and wonderful place for him to explore.

Keeping her spread, he ran his finger through her juices, sucking them off his digit, an act that always turned Veronica on to watch. He made eye contact with her briefly and winked, causing her to giggle a bit, before he buried his face in her pussy. She pulled her feet up and anchored them to the edge of the desk, causing her to open wider. Logan's long tongue searched inside of her, caressing her deeply. She shifted her hips to the very edge of the table and Logan found THAT spot with the tip of his tongue. Veronica's moans deepened and she felt herself building. Logan brought his thumb across her and began rubbing the tip of her clit gently, causing her build to climb rapidly. He increased the pressure and the rhythm and within minutes she came, begging for more and crying out his name.

She released her arms and lay on her back on the table, panting heavily. Logan pulled off his jeans and boxers and stroked his cock, watching her body roll with her heavy breathing. He stepped closer to her wet and welcoming cunt, positioning his head at her lips. "You're so fucking amazing. I want to bury myself in you and never come out." He growled, his voice deep with lust. "Do it." She hissed. "Stay inside me forever." Keeping her feet up on the desk, she scooted her ass down to the edge again, impaling herself on him. He groaned at the sudden friction. Giving in to the anticipation of more, Veronica stretched her arms out above her head on the table. The sight of Veronica spread out and ready for him was almost too much for Logan. He closed his eyes momentarily to control himself. When he opened them, Veronica was staring at him, a large grin on her face, knowing what she was doing to him. His response was to thrust into her deeply. Their combined moan of pleasure reverberated around the room. Logan began pulling himself out slowly, then thrusting in quickly. He put one hand flat on her pelvis and he swore he could feel himself inside of her. Together they rocked with pleasure until Veronica started making those beautiful mewling noises that told him she was about to come. He shifted his hand so his thumb was rubbing her clit again and she came apart, while he let himself come deep inside of her.

They held their position until the last possible second when Logan pulled out of her with a groan. Veronica dropped her feet down so they were now dangling off the edge. Logan regained his composure and walked around the side of the table. Reaching over, he scooped her off the table as she squealed. He laughed and bounced her naked body in his arms, then carried her out to the lobby. He sat down on the couch with her still in his arms. The sky was now dark and they were illuminated by the neon red from the Mars Investigations sign in the window. She curled up into a ball on his lap and enjoyed their closeness.

"We should probably 'Pledge' the table before we go tonight." He said and laughed.

"Oh I'm sure if Sandy came in and found my ass print on the table she would quit. We should also wipe down this couch after too." She teased, snuggling closer to him.

"If I can get off of it. I'm naked and sweaty on leather. I may lose skin." He remarked with a hint of worry in his voice.

Veronica gave a big belly laugh that shook them both. "Fuck, I needed this. I just needed to be alone with you for a while."

He kissed the top of her head. They sat for a long while listening to nothing but the cars on the stretch and the sound of their breathing. Whenever they were upset or stressed, they always turned to each other. But having Hunter around had distracted Veronica from her own misery for a time. Now that his dad was back, she needed someone to take care of her, even if it was only for a few stolen moments.

Slowly, she untangled herself from Logan and stood up. Logan watched as she leaned and stretched, naked in the neon light. She had a dewy glow that absorbed the red light, giving her the illusion that her skin was aflame. It was times like this that he couldn't believe his good luck as to find her again. "Have I mentioned lately that you really are the most beautiful girl on the planet?" He said wistfully.

She gave him a sideways glance and put her hands on her hips. "You're not so bad yourself. Naked on a leather couch suits you."

Logan put his hands behind his head and stretched, pushing his pelvis out and up, giving his best "Playgirl" pose. "All for you, baby. All. For. You." He teased.

Veronica rolled her eyes and walked into the meeting room. She found her discarded clothes, as well as Logan's and paraded back to the lobby, swinging her naked hips happily. She threw Logan's clothes across the couch at him. "Time to get dressed, sexy. I'm going to freshen up in the bathroom then I'll meet you in my office."

Logan gave her a wicked smile and wiggled his eyebrows at her. "Are you looking to try out that desk too?"

She wagged her finger at him. "We've had enough play. Time to work." She said and sauntered towards the back. "And don't forget the 'Pledge'!" She yelled down the hall, giving a flick of her hips and a wave of her hand. Logan enjoyed watching her figure disappear into the dark.

Veronica and Logan had sat combing through the papers Mac had left, hoping for a clue, for a couple of hours. As painful as it was, Veronica took on the task of reading through the pages of texts sent between Jake and Lianne, skipping over the sexting sections of the document. Logan combed through the credit card receipts and looked up names associated with other phone numbers listed on Lianne's "real" cell and home phone number.

When she got to the end of the texts for the second time that night, she tossed the stapled papers onto the table. "Fuck." She muttered. "There's something about those texts, I just can't put my finger on it. But something seems off about the last text she sent."

Logan put down his paper. "Let's hash it out. What seems off to you?" He picked up the papers and scanned them.

"There almost seems to be a short hand to their texts. Kind of like what we have. A lot of them are incomplete sentences or thoughts but the other knows what they are talking about." She explained.

"Then what is it about the last one that is off?" He said, flipping to that page.

"My mom had to tell Jake where she was. She said she was 'here', assuming he knew what 'here' meant. She doesn't give her location in any of the other texts going back years. Why this time?" She asked.

Logan looked at the paper with the text. "Because Jake asked. Because SOMEONE asked." He paused, contemplating his own words. "What if the person wasn't Jake? What if it was someone else was asking the question? Someone who got a hold of the cell phone? Someone else that was in the house that night? Like Wiedman or Celeste?"

The partners looked at each other, letting the implications of what Logan just said sink in. Veronica pushed her chair back, stood up abruptly and began pacing. Logan could see her working out the scenario in her head.

"What if someone saw the text come in while Jake was out of the room? Maybe he was in the shower? They decide to respond. Maybe they knew who it was on the other end, maybe they didn't. They beat Jake to the Camelot, argue with my mother, kill her, then leave. Jake finds the body." She hypothesised out loud.

"Crime of opportunity." Logan interjected. "Not a bullet. Weapon was either in the room or they brought it with them."

"Bullets and guns can be traced. An object can be cleaned and put back or placed where no one would notice it was out of place." Added Veronica.

"Weidmen on his own?" Asked Logan.

"Celeste ask him to do it?" Countered Veronica.

"Celeste on her own?" Responded Logan.

"Celeste with Weidman's help?" Finished Veronica.

There was silence as the two contemplated the possibilities. They looked at each other, not sure of their next move.

"We need to get evidence before we go forward. If this is Wiedman, we need to make this air tight or he will come after us. If it's Celeste, it needs to be air tight or Lamb won't proceed with charges." Logan pointed out. They both knew this would be tricky. And ugly. Very, very ugly.

Veronica crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. "We have the most important piece of evidence sleeping on our couch right now." She said quietly.

Logan nodded. "We have to ask Hunter what happened."

Veronica covered her face. "Fuck. Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck."

Logan stood up and wrapped his arms around Veronica. "We have to ask him before he leaves for Seattle. And Gareth needs to know as well. He needs to hear about his son's trauma so he can help him through it."

"Tomorrow?" She looked up at Logan and asked.

"Tomorrow. Then we'll know what to do." He answered. "But for now, let's tidy up and go back upstairs to bed."

She nodded into his chest and the two quietly began cleaning up the papers. By the time they reached the loft, Gareth was asleep with Hunter curled up in his arms on the couch. The two lovers snuck into their bed and curled around each other to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

**_Thanks to everyone who PM'd me about formatting problems. I think I have them fixed. If you ever have problems and really, really want to read my stuff, I am on Archive of our Own (AO3) as well. Thanks again for reading!_**

An amazing aroma woke Veronica's stomach. She opened her eyes and looked around the loft. Gareth was in the kitchen standing over the stove. Closer to them, Hunter was quietly playing Lego while watching cartoons on what must have been Gareth's iPad. She jumped out of bed and pulled her favourite cardigan around herself. Logan was still completely out.

She went up to the kitchen counter and leaned on it, stretching her arms and yawning. "That smells soooooo good!" She said.

Gareth turned and smiled. "This is what happens when you have a former chef stay in your home. French Toast with fresh fruit compote and whipping cream. I ran to the bodega downstairs this morning to get the ingredients."

Veronica slipped herself onto the kitchen island stool. "Logan owns the building. I swear we would starve if he didn't buy one with a grocery store right below us." She chuckled.

Hunter came over and scrambled up into the stool beside Veronica. He gave her a big morning hug and she reciprocated. "Good morning Veronica!"

"Good morning, sweetheart." She looked at the boy lovingly. "Did you sleep well?"

He nodded and smiled. "I didn't have to climb into bed with you and Logan because daddy was with me."

"Aaaahhhh! The whole bed to myself!" Logan bellowed from the king sized furniture. He had flopped onto his back under the covers and was spread out across the entire surface. Hunter seized the opportunity and jumped off his stool, ran across the loft, and threw himself onto the bed, landing directly on top of Logan. Logan folded in half and groaned while Hunter laughed. He scooped up the boy, tickling him for a minute before emerging from the blankets. He grabbed Hunter under one arm, like a football, and carried the laughing boy back to the kitchen.

Veronica's heart did little pirouettes in her chest, watching Logan carry her brother towards them. He was in a pair of old grey sweats and a black muscle shirt. His muscles flexed and bulged as he shifted the squirming Hunter in his arms. Catching his eye, he gave her a knowing wink. He deposited the boy on the stool again and bent to give Veronica a little kiss on the lips. Even this contact made her feel she may fall off her perch.

"God, that smells good!" Logan moaned and walked around the island counter to pour himself a cup of coffee from the full carafe. He slapped Gareth on the back warmly. "Thanks man. You didn't have to do this."

"Oh yes I did." He smiled and took a sip from his own coffee mug, still keeping one eye on the French Toast in the pan. "It is the least I could do."

"How long 'til it's ready?" Asked Hunter anxiously.

Gareth laughed. "A little bit longer. I have quite a bit of French toast to make and only one pan. Why don't you go watch cartoons and we'll call you when they are ready."

"Okay daddy!" He said and jumped off the stool again. This time, he ran through the loft and jumped onto the couch.

When he was sure that Hunter was immersed in his YouTube cartoon, Gareth stepped closer to Veronica and lowered his voice. "Did you find anything out last night? I wanted to stay up to talk to you but I was exhausted."

Veronica looked at Logan on the other side of the counter. He joined the group and lowered his voice. "We think we have two suspects; neither of them are Jake."

"But Hunter needs to tell us what he remembers." Added Veronica softly. "It's going to be hard, but he may hold the answer to this case."

Gareth sighed deeply. "Alright. I need to talk to him anyway about what happened. I just...I need to know..."

Veronica put her hand on his. "We'll all help him get through this."

Gareth nodded then turned back to the French Toast, quietly taking off the cooked food and transferring on new bread. An awkward silence fell in the group. Logan and Veronica looked at each other to see who would break the silence first.

"If breakfast will be a while, I'm going to grab a quick shower. Excuse me." Said Veronica as she got off the stool. Gareth turned and nodded at her; she could see the tears hovering in his eyes.

"I'm going to check on Hunter." Added Logan. He gave Gareth another bro-pat on the shoulder and sauntered off to watch cartoons.

When Veronica emerged from the bathroom, showered and changed into an easy summer dress, all the boys were eating.

Logan looked up with his mouth full. "These are soooooo goooood!" He said and went back to rolling his eyes in ecstasy while chewing.

Veronica shook her head and plopped herself down at the empty seat. Hunter was talking about his cartoons and the men were nodding and interjecting every once in a while. Veronica filled her plate and relaxed into the secure feeling that came with sitting with one's loved ones. Even thought they had just met Gareth, there was a quiet familiarity to him. While Jake may have been Lianne's "soul-mate", the men she chose to marry were stereotypical "nice guys" with big hearts. She saw many similarities in Gareth and her father. They both exuded confidence; both deeply cared about their children; both had the misfortune of loving someone who couldn't love them. As she watched the love in Gareth's eyes every time he looked at his son, she swung between being in awe and being furious with her mother.

In short order they were done and Veronica insisted on cleaning up so Logan could shower and get ready and Gareth could get Hunter ready for the day. While Gareth showered and dressed, Hunter happily played Lego with Logan while Veronica worked on her laptop.

Finally, Gareth, all clean and dressed, sauntered over to the couch. He sat watching Logan and Hunter interact for a few minutes before he spoke.

"Hunter, can you come and sit with me for a minute." Gareth asked and patted his knee. Sensing something was up, Hunter hesitantly looked at Logan, then to his dad. He moved slowly to his father's lap and curled up in his arms. Veronica saw what was happening and walked over to the couch. She sat down on the edge closest to Logan, who was on the floor.

"Hunter, you know that I love you. And that Veronica and Logan love you. We want to help you deal with..." Gareth grasped for the right words. "...your mom's death." He took a deep breath. "Daddy is trying to deal with it too" He paused again, closing his eyes and kissing the top of the boy's head. "Can you tell me what happened that night? Can you tell me what you remember?"

Hunter looked scared. His eyes darted to Logan who came and sat up next to Veronica. "You're not in trouble, Hunter." Logan said quietly. "Remember how we talked about adults who ask you to keep secrets? You are NOT in trouble. This will help you. And it will help us find the person who did this to your mom and put the person in jail."

"You are safe with us Hunter. You can tell us anything." Said Veronica softly.

Hunter looked up at his dad. "I should have saved her, Daddy. But I was too scared." He said in a little voice.

"No. It wasn't up to you to protect her, Hunter." Gareth said and started to rock him. "Tell us what happened."

The little boy took a breath and locked eyes with Veronica. "I woke up in the car and mommy carried me into the room at the hotel. She said a friend was coming over and I would sleep better in the closet. She said she made a fort for me and I looked in and she had put my sleeping bag and a blanket and a pillow and my stuffed animals in it. And she hung some glow sticks from the hangers above me so they looked like stars!" He started. Veronica noticed he was holding on to the edge of his shirt, twisting it around and around in his fingers. "And it was cozy and I was tired and I fell asleep." He paused. His face became awash with pain and he hid his face in his dad's chest.

Gareth rubbed his back. "What happened next, Hunter?" He said softly. "Please tell us so we can help you." Veronica could tell by his voice that he was holding back tears.

"I woke up and heard mommy yelling at someone. I was scared so I didn't look outside. But then I heard someone else. Mommy had closed the door, but she left it open a crack, so I crawled to the other end and I peaked through the crack but I couldn't see the lady mommy was yelling with." Hunter said, his voice starting to waiver.

Veronica's eyes got wide and she grabbed Logan's hand for support. He could feel her body start to vibrate.

Gareth prodded his son. "You're doing so well, Hunter. I'm so proud of you for being so brave. What happened next?"

Hunter looked up at his dad with tears in his eyes. "She hit mommy, in the head with something hard. And there was blood and it was so scary, Daddy, and I was scared she would hit me so I crawled in my sleeping bag and curled up in a ball so she couldn't find me and mommy wasn't yelling anymore and the lady wasn't yelling and I fell asleep and I didn't want to because I should have helped mommy, Daddy. I'm sorry I didn't help her!" Hunter was crying hysterically by this point an Gareth was cradling him and rocking, tears coming down his face as he internalized his son's pain.

Veronica went and knelt by her brother and step-father. She reached out and took Hunter's tiny little hand in hers. Tears were falling freely from her by now. "You couldn't have helped her, Hunter. That grown up could have hurt you too. You did so good telling us what happened. We are all so proud of how brave you were, and are!"

Hunter started snorting, trying to find words through his crying. "But..I...fell...asleep..."

Logan came and crouched with them. "No you didn't, little dude; you probably passed out. That can happen to a person when something bad happens to them. It's your brain trying to save you...it just turns off like a light switch. You couldn't have done anything. This is not your fault." He reached over and put his hand over Veronica and Hunter's hands.

Gareth started to regain his words. "We will help you through this, Hunter. We love you so much. It's over now. We can start to heal. You and me and Veronica. We can all heal." He said.

Hunter sniffled. "And Logan too?"

Gareth smiled and kissed his son's head. "How could I forget? Yes, and Logan too."

They all sat there for a minute quietly, everyone holding on to Hunter for dear life. They almost jumped when he started talking again. "Daddy?"

"Yes Hunter." Gareth looked down at him and smiled a tight smile.

"Are you my daddy?" He whispered.

Gareth looked stricken. "Why would you think I wasn't?" He whispered.

"Because the lady said that another man was. That's why she was mad at mommy." Replied Hunter.

Gareth turned white. Veronica put her free hand on his shoulder. "Of course he is your Daddy. " She said, watching as her step-father struggled for composure. "He is your Daddy and always will be." She said quietly.

Hunter looked up at his dad, hoping for some reassurance. Finally it came. "Yes. I love you Hunter. You are my son. You are my baby boy." He said and burrowed his face into the top of Hunter's head.

Veronica looked to Logan. His jaw set, his back straightened, his shoulders pushed back. He was in full military mode, getting ready for a fight. His eyes had the fire they had when they were teenagers and he was about to kick someone's ass. She worried the ass in question this time was Jake Kane.

She caught his eye and shook her head gently, looking down at her brother. He understood, and relaxed himself, exhaling deeply.

Gareth pulled his head back to look at Hunter. "Are you feeling a bit better?" He asked, petting his son's head. Hunter looked up and nodded at his dad. Veronica and Logan released his hand and smiled at him. "Because if you are, I did find five cartons of ice cream in the freezer. Maybe your sister will share it with you?" He looked over at Veronica and smiled weakly.

Veronica laughed a little. "Logan and I are really teenagers trapped in adult bodies. That's why we have so much ice cream and so little 'real' food." She replied.

Logan held out his arms to Hunter. "Come on with me. We can go see what flavors Veronica is hoarding." Hunter climbed out of Gareth's arms and into Logan's. He offered up his hand and Hunter gave him a high five, then he kissed the child on the forehead. "I'm proud of you, little dude. Let's go get you some ice cream." He said and stood up with Hunter. They walked to the kitchen quietly and began discussing ice cream flavors once the freezer was wide open.

Gareth put his head in his hands. Veronica leaned over to him. "Don't be thrown by what he said." She whispered. "For years, people around me thought that I was Jake Kane's daughter, not Keith Mars'. He saw it in me and he knew in his heart I was his. And when we did a DNA test, he was right. You know if your heart Hunter is yours. Focus on that."

Gareth looked over at Logan and Hunter eating ice cream at the counter. "You're right. I have to stay strong. I know he is my son...I feel it. Thank you for telling me your story." He said and looked back at Veronica. There was so much love and kindness in his eyes that Veronica wanted to start crying again. But she held it together.

"Come on." She said and stood up. "I need ice cream too." She smiled. Gareth returned her smile and stood as well. Together, they joined the other two a the counter.

Over ice cream, it was decided that before they left, Gareth and Hunter needed to visit the boardwalk to see the sights and visit the amusement park. The car seat was still in the Hummer, so Logan gave Gareth the keys to it, promising it was easier to drive than it looked. They also gave Gareth their extra set of keys and a code to the alarm so they could come and go as they pleased.

Once the father and son were on their way, the two partners headed back upstairs. When they got there, Logan flopped onto the bed, fully clothed. Veronica lay down next to him and wrapped herself around his torso. They were both thinking the same thing.

"So how do we prove that Celeste killed your mom?" Said Logan.

Veronica closed her eyes. "Evidence. We need evidence."

"So where do we look? The Kane mansion?" He asked.

Veronica scrunched up her face to think. "No. Not yet. I think we need to visit the Camelot first. See if the bumbling Sherriff Lamb left anything behind."

Logan nodded. "So 'Charlie Lester' and 'Amber' need to visit a motel today?"

Veronica smiled and pushed herself up on her elbows to look him in the eye. "You bet!" She grinned.

A newly fake-tatooed Logan pulled up the Camelot Motel on his motorcycle, in his torn jeans and leathers, his eyes now blue and his hair a mess. He got off his bike and took off his helmet, surveying the area. It was the middle of the day and the parking lot only had one or two cars in it. He offered his hand to his riding companion 'Amber'.

Veronica gently lifted her helmet off of her head, as not to disturb the long, red wig she was hiding under. Handing the helmet to Logan, she braced herself with her hands on the back bar and swung her legs off the side together, as not to have her skirt ride up anymore than it already did. She stopped for a moment and pulled at the hem of her black dress. The garment was practically painted on and it showed off every curve. Just below it peaked some thigh-high stockings, and on her feet were three-inch red heels. An assortment of cheap jewelry rounded out 'Amber's' look. Logan kept having problems focusing on the morbid task at hand, when she looked like this. Especially when memories of the hot sex that had happened after the other times they had taken 'Charlie and Amber' out on cases kept floating through his mind. He gave his head a shake and got into character.

"You ready to fucking do this, baby?" He grunted and scowled at her.

Veronica's voice went up a few octaves. "Yeah, baby! Just remember, I get half up front."

He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her roughly to him. "I'll give you MORE than half up your front." He snarked gruffly and kissed her neck.

Veronica gave him a swat on the arm, looking over at the windows to the hotel office. "Oh, baby, you're soooooo baaad!" She squealed. Logan winked at her then released her and turned towards the office.

As they entered, a bell sounded announcing them. A young man came to the desk. "Can I help you?"

Logan pulled a wad of bills, wrapped with an elastic band out of his pocket and slammed it down on the desk. "The lady here and I want a room. A specific room. Room #7."

Veronica popped her head around him at the man. "It's my lucky number!" She giggled.

Logan smirked at the guy. "Gonna get me lucky too!" He chuckled.

The scrawny blond just looked at them and pushed a piece of paper at them. "Fill this information card out. How long do you want the room for?" He asked in a blasé monotone.

Logan leaned over the counter. "As long as it takes to make sure those luscious red drapes match the rug." He winked and pealed off several hundreds from the wad. "Will this be enough for the room and a tip for room service?" He said and pushed the money towards the clerk.

The clerk looked from the money to the paperwork to Logan. He took the paper, crumpled it up, reached under the desk and handed him the key with a bright red tag that said "#7" on it. "Take all the time you need, mister." He said.

Logan grabbed the key first and then Veronica. "Come on babe, now we've got lots of time to get to know each other. What did you say your name was again?"

"Amber!" Veronica giggled as they strode through the door and out the office.

Together they walked down the main sidewalk to Room #7. They froze in front of the door. Logan kissed the side of her head and put the key in the lock. "You ready for this?" He asked before turning the handle.

"Yes." She said quietly and stood a little straighter.

The door swung open to...nothing. Just a normal room in a normal sleazy motel. Veronica felt like there should be flowers or a marker or something showing that this was where her mother died. But instead, it looked the same. There was a queen size bed against one wall, a large set of dressers with a giant mirror on the other. The closet was at the back of the room and had heavy wooden sliding doors. The bathroom door was beside it.

Veronica took a few steps inside and turned to face the door. Logan walked in and reached for the lights, letting the door close automatically behind him. Veronica pulled off her wig, tossing it on the bed, and kicked off her heels. Looking down at her feet she saw the faint outline of pink in the carpet; blood that just couldn't come out. She knelt and pressed her palm to it, feeling her own blood pound through her hand. She closed her eyes, fighting the urge to lay down on the carpet and never get up again.

She heard movement and opened her eyes to find Logan sitting cross legged in front of her. "Hey."

"Hey." She smiled weakly.

"I used to go to the Coronado, late at night, and run my hands down the section of railing by where my mom jumped...because it was the last thing she touched." He whispered, trying to keep control of his own emotions.

Veronica looked at her boyfriend with tears in her eyes. She took her hand off the stain and reached it out to him. He took it and kissed her knuckles, then wrapped both of his hands around it. They sat quietly for a few minutes, each of them thinking about the mothers that abandoned them so long ago. Finally, when Veronica felt strong enough, she shifted onto her knees and crawled to Logan. She placed a small kiss on his lips and looked into his fake-blue eyes. "I'm ready. Let's get this over with." She exhaled.

Logan nodded and he stood, helping her to her feet. "What do you want to do first?" He said, switching to investigation mode. "Re-enact or search?"

Veronica looked around. "Re-enact. I'll be Lianne." She said and walked back to the door.

Logan followed and situated himself by the door frame. "So, Celeste knocks on the door." He rapped on the door gently.

"Lianne is expecting Jake, so she opens it. She's surprised to find it's Celeste." Veronica says, and instinctually steps back in 'shock'.

"Celeste enters. The door would have automatically shut behind her." Logan said, and got in front of Veronica.

Veronica kept backing up. "She would have stayed between Celeste and the closet, knowing Hunter was in there." She stopped near the stain and stood her ground, looking up at Logan.

"They argue. Celeste hits her in the head with something heavy." Logan swung his arm around her head.

"Do you think she hit Lianne with a lamp or something else from the room?" She looked to the lamps. "But then, how did she get rid of the weapon? Can't fit a lamp in your purse." She looked around a bit more. "Maybe she took something from home?"

"Possibly. She could have read the text and impulsively grabbed something on the way out the door. If she hit Lianne hard enough, she wouldn't have been able to fight after that. Do you think they struggled?" Said Logan.

Veronica looked at the stain by her stocking feet "No. It looks like she went down and didn't come back up." She looked at the mirror and imagined herself falling. "We are too close to the door. If she fell forward after being hit, she needed to be back...closer to the closet. And closer to the mirror." She shifted herself over, grabbed her head, fell to her knees and then fell forward, approximating how Lianne would have hit the ground.

"Celeste would have either hit her again or knelt to see if she was alive." Logan knelt and got close to Veronica.

She looked up at Logan from the ground. "Do you think Lianne fought back before she was hit?"

"Then there would be evidence on her. Medical examiner should have logged that." Logan responded.

Veronica turned her head to look under the bed. She lifted the bed skirt and saw the pink stain extended further under the bed. "She bled out. There is more blood staining on the carpet under here. It wicked along the carpet."

"Well, they obviously didn't clean that well. Let's start our search there." Logan said. Veronica sat up and he shoved the bed over.

Veronica stood and grabbed her purse off the bed and brought it over to the dresser. She pulled a small box of latex gloves and a plastic box containing everything they needed to search every inch of the room; magnifiers, adhesives, plastic bags, combs, tweezers...Veronica opened it and set all of the strange objects while Logan continued to move furniture. He then hung up his jacket behind the door, kicked off his biker boats, and walked over to her. He reached over and grabbed a pair of gloves, slipping them on and letting the cuff 'thwack' on his skin. Veronica slipped on a pair as well and surveyed the room. "You start under the bed." She said. "I'm going to start our 'clean sweep' starting behind the door in the corner and working my way to the bathroom. Logan nodded at his orders and set about laying on the carpet and actually combing the bristles with a fine comb, hoping to work some piece of evidence from the fibres.

Three hours later, Veronica was laying on the bed, looking up at the ceiling, wishing a big chunk of evidence would fall from the sky. Logan was finishing moving the dresser back into place. When he was done, he shed his gloves, threw them on Veronica's purse, and then crawled into bed next to her.

"Well, that sucked." She said, still not taking her eyes off the sky.

"We had to try. Not the first time Lamb and his clan have forgotten something that we have gone back and found." He said. He noticed there were still some tiny splatters of blood in the stucco and he cringed. "What now?"

Veronica sat up and pulled her knees to her chin. "I play my last card." She said. Swinging her legs off the bed, she went over to her purse and fished out her phone. She wandered back to the bed as she dialled. Logan was looking at her with concern.

"Balboa County Sherriff's Department." Came a perky voice through the phone.

Veronica's voice went an octave higher. "Oh, sweetheart. I'm wondering if I could speak to Deputy Sacks please?"

"Yes. He is in the office. Can I ask who is calling?"

"Yes...it is his mother." She said and looked at Logan.

"Just one moment..." Said the voice and the sound of terrible 70's music filled her ear.

After a bit of pacing the call reconnected. "Hello Mom. How is it in heaven?" Came Deputy Sacks' voice.

"I thought that might bring you to the phone." Said Veronica. "It's Veronica Mars. We need to talk."

The voice scoffed. "About what?"

Veronica looked at herself in the mirror. "About a young deputy who had no money and my mom would have you over for Sunday dinners. About a young deputy who lived in my basement for two weeks when you moved to town anf couldn't afford rent. About a young deputy who had lunches, made by my mom, delivered to you by my dad, for the first year he worked at the station." She watched her eyes harden. "About the deputy who stayed on my mom's couch for a week when his own mother died."

Sacks' voice croaked. "What do you want?"

"It's not what I WANT, it's what my mom NEEDS. She needs her killer brought to justice. I have a suspect but I need the evidence. I need to see her case file." Said Veronica, her voice softening.

There was silence as Sacks replayed in his head all the times Lianne Mars was kind to him. He knew that Veronica was right. He just needed a minute to accept it. "Okay. But it may take me some time. I'll get a hold of you when it's ready."

Veronica closed her eyes and dropped her head. "Thank you. Thank you so much." She said. "Let me know when we can meet. You have my number." Then she disconnected the call.

Logan got out of bed and came up behind her, kissing her crown. "How long have you kept that in your hip pocket?" He asked and wrapped his arms around her.

She opened her eyes and looked at their reflection in the mirror. "A long time. It never seemed right to bring it up before. It needed to be done now."

They stood there quietly together until Logan spoke. "Come on. Let's get dressed up and head home. We can text Gareth and meet up with him and Hunter for dinner."

She turned around and stood on her tip toes to give him a small kiss. "I'd like that. Let's go." She said and began to collect their things and get back into their costumes. Before they left, Veronica stood in the mark left by her mother one last time. She looked around the room, her eyes lingering on the door to the closet. She shook her head sadly and wiped her eyes, then marched out the door, with justice on her mind.


	8. Chapter 8

The low buzzing of her phone on the bedside table woke Veronica from a restless sleep. She grabbed it, blinking wildly as the screen glowed in her face. At 2:45 am a call came in from a number she didn't recognize. She looked over at Logan, who was sleeping soundly at the other end of the bed. Slowly, she unplugged the phone and slipped out of bed, tip toeing to the bathroom. In the dark, she used the light from her phone to make her way to the toilet seat and sat down on the lid. Looking at her phone again, she listened to the message.

"Veronica. It's Sacks. I have the file. Call me."

Veronica checked the number that he called from and dialled. "Hi. I got your message." She said when it connected.

"I just finished copying everything and I'm on my way. Can you meet me a few blocks away from your office?" He said.

Veronica looked down at her sleep shorts and tank top. "Yes. But I'm going to need a few minutes. Where will you be?"

"A couple of blocks south...at the Gas n' Sip." He replied.

"Okay. I'll be there in 10 minutes." She said and hung up. Using her phone as a light again, she stumbled back through the bathroom and quietly opened the door. Tiptoeing over their big armoire, she carefully opened the door to grab some clothes.

"Are you sleep-dressing?" Logan murmured from the bed.

She cringed and grabbed her jeans and t-shirt, then walked closer to the bed. Logan had rolled to his side and was now leaning up on one arm. "Sacks called." She whispered. "I'm going to go meet him." She said and looked over at the couch. Gareth and Hunter were still sleeping soundly so she stripped off her sleep set quickly and started pulling on her clothes.

Logan watched her undress and dress again. "So you were going to go out in the middle of the night alone?" He hissed, his brow creasing.

Veronica stopped what she was doing. "I'll be fine."

Logan ripped the covers off of himself and stood up beside her. His tall figure loomed over her in the night. "Like fuck you will...I'm going with you!" He responded and swept past her to get his clothes. She knew he was right about going out at night, but it still pissed her off that he thought she couldn't do this by herself. Not giving him the satisfaction of watching him change, she crossed the loft and started getting on her sneakers. He joined Veronica moments later, not looking at her. She glanced at him and noticed he had on his gun and holster over his shirt; he must have grabbed it from the safe in his closet when she wasn't looking. Wordlessly, he threw a jacket on to conceal his weapon and handed her a jacket as well. She took it without looking at him, picked up her purse and turned towards the door. Quietly, she unlocked it, as to not wake their guests. It wasn't until she hit the pavement that a sound was made.

"A gun? Really? You planning on shooting Sacks?" She said into the night.

"Okay..'A'...lower your voice...it's reverberating on the buildings. And 'B'...what are you thinking going out in the middle of the night without backup?" Logan was standing next to her, flailing his arms wildly as he talked.

"Okay...'A'...talk to me like I'm a child again and I will tazer you, I swear to god! And 'B'...I didn't want you to scare him off!" She spat and started marching in the direction of the gas station.

Logan easily caught up to her and jumped in her path. She tried to avoid him but he stopped her cold by wrapping his arms around her. "I'm sorry." He muttered. "But when you wake up to find your partner sneaking out to meet a contact, alone, at 3:00 am..." He began.

She sighed and let herself be held. "I'm sorry too. I should have woken you up and told you." She replied. The street was quiet and there was a chill in the air. Allowing herself another indulgent minute alone with Logan, she wrapped her arms around his waist. "We have to meet him at the Gas n' Sip down the way." She said into his chest.

Logan nodded, leaning his chin on her head. "Okay. Why don't we do this...we'll walk together but when we get there, I'll stay across the street and keep an eye out for trouble."

She pulled out of his embrace and took his hand. "A very sensible plan. Let's go." She said.

The 24 hour gas station was deserted, except for one beat-up Honda Civic that was parked around the side. They could see by the street lights that Sacks was inside, chewing his fingernails nervously. He saw the two approach.

"Good luck." Logan said and took his position across the street.

Veronica jogged to the car and slipped into the passenger seat. "Good morning." She said as she turned to the Deputy.

"Yeah. Sure." He muttered and passed her a manila envelope. "It's all in there, in black and white."

"Thank you." She said. "Is there anything that stuck out to you that didn't make it into the report?"

Sacks ripped at his nail. "Yeah. An earring. An expensive earring that we couldn't find a partner for in your mom's stuff. We found it under the bed. Lamb put in the report that it was probably from someone who previously stayed in the room. He wrote that they were 'fake diamonds' but that baby was all real."

Veronica inhaled sharply. "Did he still put it into evidence?"

Sacks nodded and looked around outside of the car. "Yeah. But the photo of it disappeared from the file. I had to go and take a new one with my phone in the evidence room. There is a print out of it in the folder."

Veronica felt her heart jump in her chest. "Oh my god." She whispered.

Sacks looked at Veronica. "Did one if the Kane's finally kill her?" He asked. Veronica looked at him with shock. "I always felt bad for your dad...He's such a nice guy...but I learned a lot about your mom when I was staying with you guys." He confided.

Veronica looked out the window at Logan, standing under a street lamp at attention. "Did you drink one of her vodka water bottles too?"

Sacks shook his head. "Mistakenly drank her vodka and orange juice one morning at breakfast. And a couple of times I heard her sneaking back into the house in the middle of the night when your dad took the overnight shift."

Veronica nodded. More people, more secrets. "Thank you for this." She said and hugged the envelope. "I promise, I'll never bother you again."

Sacks laughed. "Well, we both know that's a lie. But thanks for the thought." He put his hand on her shoulder. "Good luck, Veronica. Stay safe."

Veronica gave him a small smile before exiting the car. The street was still deserted and she clutched the file for dear life. She sprinted towards Logan. "Let's go look at these in the office." She said and grabbed his hand. Together they made their way back to the building.

Logan opened the office door and Veronica made a beeline to the meeting room. By the time Logan had turned on the lights, Veronica had already started pulling papers out of the thick envelope. Walking around the large table, she began dealing out the papers so they could see all of them side by side. As Logan walked over she let out a strangled cry. The papers fell to the floor and Veronica baked away from them, her eyes wide and her hands covering her mouth. Logan stepped up and looked down. Staring up at him was the bloody profile of Lianne Mars, her face contorted and part of her skull caved in. He bent down and snatched up the photos, flipping them face down onto the table. When he turned to Veronica, she had backed all the way up to the wall, her face white, her body shaking.

"Veronica..." He started gently reaching for her.

Veronica's eyes were wild. "Just like Lilly..." She whispered. The flashes played over in her head. Lilly. The blood. Her mangled head. Lilly's eyes wide open. Her body twisted. "Just like mom..." She said, her brain superimposing Lianne onto the pool deck.

Logan reached to touch her shoulder and she jumped. She looked into his eyes and tried to blink away Aaron from her skull. Logan knew that look; the terrified look she had when she woke from her nightmares when they were younger. The look that reminded him that he still had some of Aaron's genetics painted on his face. "It's okay." He said quietly, trying to choke down his emotions. "It's Logan. You are safe."

Veronica shook her head and threw herself into his arms. He could feel her breathing hard against him. He started stroking her hair lovingly and holding her tightly. Her body quaked as she let out a barbaric cry, finally releasing all of the anger and sadness that had built up again inside her tiny frame over the past few days. Logan held her closely as he felt her completely give way, her legs buckling under her. He guided her down to the floor and held her as she wept.

Finally, when all of the pain and misery had come out, Veronica wiped her eyes and looked up at Logan. "I wish I got to see her alive one last time. Not like this."

"I know." He said and kissed her head. "I know."

They sat quietly for a while longer until Veronica spoke again. "Can you look through the photos with her body?" She asked weakly.

"Yeah. I can do that." He said and stood up. Veronica sat on the ground for a time while he continued to weed through the papers. She watched as his face turned hard and clinical. During these times she often imagined this is what he looked like when he was flying fighter planes. He continued walking around the table, laying out the papers for her to see.

When he was done, he came over to her and held out his hand. She took it and pulled herself up, looking over all the information on the table. She noticed he still had a tube of papers wrapped tightly in his hand and realized these must be the photos of her mother. She glanced over and quickly found the photo of the earring, holding it up for him to see. "Sacks says that Lamb put in the report that he thought this was costume jewellery left by someone who rented the room before my mom. But he said they looked like they were real diamonds."

Logan looked at the photo. The earring was a long string of diamonds with a simple tear-shaped diamond at the end. "Definitely something one would wear if they were going to a gala or charity event and not to a cheap motel." He said and looked closer. "See how the light from the room catches the last diamond? Glass doesn't do that." And handed the photo to Veronica. "Let me grab the laptop and check Google Images. Maybe there's a photo of Celeste wearing them out to an event archived somewhere online."

"Good idea." She said and he went into his office to retrieve the computer. Veronica scanned the information he left behind. There were photos of the closet set-up that Lianne rigged; glow sticks and all. She picked up the corner's report and started reading out loud. "Blunt force trauma to the skull...multiple contusions... no defensive wounds...cause of death: blood loss from trauma to the skull." Veronica put down the sheet and walked around the table again. She picked up another report, this time, forensics. "...no traces under finger nails...blood and skin tissue found on engagement and wedding ring." Veronica turned just as Logan re-entered. "She fought! She fought back!" She waived the paper at him. "There was skin and blood on her engagement ring! She must have either hit Celeste or scratched her!"

"And I bet Lamb didn't order any DNA tests on it." Logan opened the roll of photocopies in his hand and scanned them. He pulled out one and handed it to Veronica.

The photo was a close up of Lianne's hand; specifically her palm. Her square-cut solitaire engagement ring and wedding ring were turned in towards the palm of her hand. "If she knowingly slapped Celeste, using her rings as weapons, it may have provoked her enough to hit my mom with something."

Logan sat down and turned on the computer. Veronica started pacing, replaying the scene over and over in her head. "Here we go..." Logan said and she was quickly at his side as he Googled "Celeste Kane, Neptune, CA".

The first item on the list made Veronica gasp. There were three photos of Celeste accompanying a story in the Neptune Register, all from the night of her mother's murder. Logan clicked on the first photo of Celeste, in a black silk pantsuit, shaking hands with another woman identified as the president of the Neptune Junior League. "Celeste Kane received the Distinguished Community Leader award from the Neptune Junior League at this year's annual dinner." Veronica read out loud. Logan zoomed in on the photo. There, clearly dangling from Celeste's lobe was the earring from the police report. Veronica started to tremble. He clicked on the next photo of Celeste speaking at a podium. The third photo sucked all the air out of the room; Celeste Kane was behind the podium, accepting an award from the Junior League President. Logan zoomed in on the award; it was a blown glass orb that looked like a big marble, mounted on a small stand.

"Small enough to fit in a purse..." Intoned Veronica.

"Heavy enough to crack open a skull." Answered Logan. The partners looked at each other. "What now?"

Veronica stared at the photos. "Print these. We're going to need them when we go and see Jake." She said. Logan nodded and sent the photos to the WiFi printer in the lobby. Veronica looked down at the photos in her hand. "It's time for Jake Kane to decide between his women, once and for all."


	9. Chapter 9

"Veronica?" Came a small voice.

Veronica opened her eyes to find Hunter almost nose to nose with her, standing at the edge of the bed. She jumped a bit and smiled kindly. "Hey sweetheart."

"Logan said you had a bad night so I brought you breakfast in bed. Is that okay?" He looked over his shoulder and there was Logan, holding a baking sheet with a plate on it. He smiled lovingly at her.

She reached her hand out of the covers and touched her brother's face. "It's more than okay. Thank you so much." She slid up to a seated position and tucked her pillows behind her back.

Logan stepped forward. "Your breakfast, m'lady." He said and bowed at the waist to place the tray on her lap. The plate was filled with pancakes topped with fried bananas, whipping cream, and syrup. A hot cup of coffee and a glass of chocolate milk accompanied it. As he pulled back, he placed a kiss on her head.

"The milk was my idea." Said Hunter proudly. "Banana pancakes are better with chocolate milk."

Veronica's stomach gurgled it's happiness. "Thank you so much. I think you may be right." She angled her head towards the kitchen. "Thanks for breakfast, Gareth!" She yelled. He waived back and continued to clean up everyone else's breakfast.

Logan frowned. "How do you know it wasn't me?" He asked in mock indignation.

Veronica made a face. "Puh-leeze, boy. I've seen the extent of your cooking skills...and this ain't it." She hacked off a big fork full of pancakes and shoved them in her mouth. "Uh...muh...gohd..." She muttered with a full mouth and here eyes rolled back in her head.

Logan put his hands on Hunter's shoulders. "Come on, Hunter. Let's leave Veronica alone with her breakfast." He laughed. Hunter waived at Veronica and ran across the loft back to their makeshift Lego table.

Veronica leaned back and took in the view of her family, spread out across her home. She let out a contented sigh and began to devour her pancakes.

As she was finishing the last bite, Gareth came and sat down at the foot of the bed. "Good morning." He smiled weakly at her. "Logan filled me in on last night."

Veronica put her tray down on the empty side of the bed. "I want to talk to Jake Kane today. I'm hoping this will be resolved as soon as possible, once and for all."

Gareth nodded. "When I went to the morgue to see Lianne...I made arrangements for her to be cremated. Once I have her..." He struggled for a moment and then found the words. "...remains...we'll be heading back to Seattle. I will arrange her funeral there."

Veronica reached forward and put her hand on his. "I'll miss you both." She said quietly.

Gareth took her hand and kissed it. "We'll miss you too. I keep thinking what a lucky man Keith Mars is to have a smart, kind, successful daughter like you. I hope Hunter is able to move past his trauma and have a happy, healthy life, like you do."

Veronica laughed ironically. "Thank you Gareth. But the truth of the matter is that neither Logan nor I have ever really gotten over any of our past trauma. We just learned to manage it." She moved her eyes over to where Logan was sitting with Hunter, watching cartoons. "So much happened to me after Lianne left us...things that pushed me and shaped me. Things I never told her about...things she just would never know." Her mind wandered for a moment, thinking of those times when she needed her mother in her life, and didn't have her. "I don't let my trauma define me, but it all had an influence on who I am today." She looked back at Gareth and shrugged. "Does that make sense?"

Gareth nodded. "Yes, it does. I know that Hunter will never forget what has happened to him, but I will try and help him manage how he deals with it. Thank you."

They were both quiet for a few moments before Veronica spoke. "I'm going to shower and get ready for the day. Thank you again for breakfast."

Gareth smiled and leaned over to take her tray. Rising from the bed, he did a small bow. "Anything for the lady of the house." He teased and then turned to take the dishes back to the kitchen.

When Veronica emerged from the bathroom, the boys were showing Hunter how to play a racing game on Logan's Xbox One. She shook her head, realizing that there must always be a part of a man that will always be a boy. She walked over to the couch. "For the record, I have kicked Logan's butt in this game many times."

Hunter smiled and jumped up to hug her. "I beat him too!"

"I may have let you both win..." He growled as he fought to keep his car on the road against Gareth.

"You say you flew fighter jets..." Muttered Gareth.

"OKAY! Everyone be quiet! I'm trying to drive." Logan yelled. Veronica and Hunter started laughing as Logan's car spun out and crashed. He groaned and tossed his controller on the couch. "For the record...totally different than flying planes..." He said, wagging his finger at them.

Veronica kissed his head. "Come on, Mouth. Time to go to work."

Logan looked up at her and smiled. He turned to Gareth and extended his hand. "Good game, Gareth."

Gareth shook his hand. "Thanks. Good luck to you both today. Keep in touch."

Hunter looked at Veronica with a sad face. "You aren't going to hang out with us today?" He said in a small voice. He walked over to Logan and took his hand. Logan looked at Veronica with a face that screamed 'Help!'

Veronica came over and knelt beside the boy. "Hunter, we have to go to work again today but I promise you that today will be the last day and then we can spend the entire day together tomorrow. Okay?"

The boy looked up at Logan. "I promise too. Okay, little dude?" And he ruffled the top of his head.

Hunter nodded and gave Logan's leg a hug. He then went over to Veronica and hugged her tightly. When he was done, he released her quietly and wandered over to his dad. Veronica and Logan finished getting themselves together and waived goodbye from the door.

"Ugh. That sucked." Said Logan as he locked the door. "He's not even ours and I don't want to leave him."

Veronica smiled up at him. "I know. Let's put that in the Sucky Part Of Being A Parent column when we talk about kids again."

"Agreed." He said and the two walked down to the office. It was Sunday and the office was closed so they had the place to themselves once more. They turned on the lights and headed to the meeting room to look over the papers.

Logan looked at everything spread out across the table. "You're the lead on this. How do you want to play this?" He asked.

Veronica was on the other side, beginning to pace. "I'm going to call Jake; make arrangements to meet without Celeste and Wiedman there. We'll bring copies of our evidence. I want him to agree to let the police to search the premises without his interference in the process. He needs to let Celeste pay for what she has done. If he agrees, I'll call Lamb from there." She took a deep breath. "If not, we leave copies of our evidence for Mac to take to Lamb tomorrow...if she doesn't hear from us..."

There was silence as Logan contemplated her words. "How are you going to get a hold of him?" He asked quietly, pushing the idea that they may not succeed to the back of his head.

Veronica reached into her purse and pulled out her phone. She waited a moment while it turned on and then she dialled the number her mother used to contact Jake. No one picked up so she tried again.

"Hello Veronica." Came Jake's voice in a monotone.

"I know who killed my mother." She said quietly. "But I need your help."

"Yes!" Replied Jake quickly. "Yes. Anything. What do you need?"

Veronica looked at Logan for support. "We need to talk to you. Without Wiedman or Celeste or any of the staff around. If this information got out..."

"I understand." He said. "Clarence is currently in Sacramento on a legal errand for me. I'm not expecting him back until tonight. And Celeste is at some church fundraising brunch. Give me time to send the staff on errands and you can come over. In an hour?"

Veronica nodded and gave the thumbs-up to Logan. "That will work. We will be over shortly. Goodbye Jake." She said and hung up.

She looked at Logan. "We need to make copies of all of this quickly. I want to take everything with us when we go to meet Jake." Logan nodded and left the room to start up the copier. Veronica began gathering the papers together in the order she needed them. Seeing the tube of papers still rolled up and tossed on the table, she took then and shoved them in her purse. "In case Jake needs some shock-treatment." She muttered and continued with her mission.

Veronica paused at the door to the Kane residence. She felt like she was walking into the OK Coral; but instead of a gun she brought a bomb to the fight. She took a deep breath and knocked.

It took a moment before Jake opened the door. "Veronica. Logan. Come in." He said and made room for them to enter. "We can talk in my office." He said, closing the door and began walking down the hall. Veronica and Logan followed. When they reached the office, Jake held the door open and closed it tightly once they entered. He walked to the desk and sat down behind it again, gesturing to the waiting chairs. As they sat down, Veronica extracted the envelope with their evidence from her big purse.

"Now that we are settled, what can I help you with Veronica?" Said Jake, suspicion in his voice.

Veronica leaned forward. "Jake, I need you to NOT interfere with the police investigation into my mother's death." She began.

Jake was horrified. "I haven't done anything of the kind!" He started.

Veronica interrupted. "That may be so...for now...but I have evidence that implicates someone close to you. And I need reassurance that you won't interfere when I take my evidence to the police."

Jake let out a deep exhale. "Who?" He asked quietly.

"Celeste." Veronica responded.

Jake laughed. "Celeste? Are you mad? It couldn't be Celeste. She was at a function that night."

Veronica shook her head. "She was, but it ended at 9 pm. There was a write up about it in the paper. Plenty of time to kill my mother and still make it seem like she was out for the evening."

Jake waived his hands. "No. I can't do it. She's my wife; the mother of my children. I can't.."

Veronica pulled the roll of papers from her purse. In a swift motion she unfurled the images of Lianne's lifeless body and slammed them on the desk in front of Jake. "Look what she did to my mother! Look what she did to the woman you say you loved! It's time to make a choice Jake! You owe my mother that! Let me bring Celeste to justice and give my mother some peace!" She rocked back into her chair leaving Jake looking at the photos.

The colour drained from Jake's face as he looked at the images of Lianne in front of him. His mind flashed back to seeing her on the ground at the motel, but being too afraid to touch her. He rocked back in his chair. "How? How did Celeste do this?" He asked in shock.

Veronica took a breath. "She somehow got a hold of your phone and saw the text from Lianne. She beat you to the motel, they fought, and she killed my mother. Celeste accidentally left one of her earrings behind at the scene and we think the murder weapon was an award she received earlier in the evening." She explained.

Jake's mouth dropped open. He reached for his phone and punched in his code. Scrolling, he looked to his texts. "I always deleted my texts to your mother so no one would see them." He said and held up his phone for them to see. His text area was blank.

Veronica opened the envelope and pulled out a copy of the last texts sent from Lianne's phone. "My mother kept everything you ever sent her. Here is the transcript of the last text she received from you." She pushed the paper to him.

Jake reached for it and read. As he read, his face contorted in pain. "I didn't send this." He said.

Veronica continued. "I think that Celeste got a hold of your phone and texted my mother instead." She explained. "What is your password for your phone?"

"LILLY!" Came a voice from behind them. "With two 'L's'." Spat Celeste. "Maybe you shouldn't have left it on your desk for anyone to find."

Jake jumped out of his chair; Logan and Veronica did likewise. There, in the doorway was Celeste, holding a gun in their direction. Jake walked from around the desk. "You killed her?" He said and came closer to his wife. "Why?"

Celeste's eyes were cold and hard. "Why? WHY? How about because she was a constant drain on our marriage? How about because you told me years ago that you ended things with her? How about because I had to deal with the indignity of you having yet another bastard child with her?" She shrieked and waived the gun in Veronica's direction. "Do you know what it was like having to see this little bitch with Lilly all the time? Thinking she was your daughter for years? And you welcomed her in like she was yours! And now that tramp was bringing another little brat you fathered to town?!"

Veronica felt Logan move closer to her. She reached out her fingers and took his hand.

Jake set his jaw and stood defiantly. "Hunter is NOT my child!" He yelled.

"He is!" Celeste screamed and came closer to him, pointing her gun at him. "I have a record of all the times you were together. I had you followed. And almost nine-months after one of your trysts, out popped your child." Celeste wiped her eyes with her free hand. "I even got a picture of him...he looked like Duncan when he was born." She hissed.

Veronica and Logan looked at one another briefly. Celeste had finally been driven to madness by everything. They both knew that talking was not going to get them out of this.

Jake took a deep breath. "Lianne was already pregnant when we got together that time. It had been almost 6-months since I saw her before that. We met because she wanted to say goodbye. She knew she was pregnant and was going to try and work on her marriage. I am not the boy's father." He said finally.

A deathly silence fell. Celeste started to shake, realizing what was being said. She looked up at the pictures of Lilly and Duncan on the wall and let out a sob. "I tried to give you a family. I tried to give you everything. But you didn't want it. You didn't want me or your children. It was always about Lianne. And now, I have no one." She said quietly.

Jake reached for Celeste. "Darling..." He started. A single shot rang out and Jake grabbed his chest. Veronica made a movement to grab him but Logan held her back. They watched helplessly as Jake crumbled to the ground.

It took a moment for Celeste to recover and point the gun at Logan and Veronica. "And you two...the two people who took my children away." She waived the gun between them. "Who do I shoot first? The man who's father murdered my baby girl?" She said to Logan. "Or the woman who helped my son run away; the daughter of the woman who tore apart my family." She swung the gun from side to side. "Actually...this is an easy one..." She grinned.

In a flash, Logan was in front of Veronica as a shot rang out. Veronica looked up at his face in horror. His eyes were closed and his arms were wrapped around her. She was breathing heavily. "Logan?" She choked.

He opened his eyes and looked down at her. He felt no pain. "I'm okay." He whispered and turned his head.

There on the ground was Celeste; blood pouring from a bullet hole in her back. Clarence Wiedman stepped into the room, his gun drawn. "My god, are you both all right?" He said loudly. Then he went over to Jakes body. "Quickly! Call 911!" He said as he took off his jacket to place pressure on the wound.

Logan released Veronica and grabbed his phone from his pocket. He quickly dialled 911. As he spoke to the operator, he walked over to Celeste and kicked her gun out of her hand. She didn't move.

Veronica stood stone still. Everything started coming at her at once as she processed what was going on. Looking at Weidmen she noticed his eye going to a spot on the wall. She followed his gaze and realized there was a camera lens, hidden on the face of the clock that was mounted on the wall. Evidence. Evidence that Celeste did it. Evidence that Wiedman acted to save their lives. She began to hear the sirens in the distance. They would be safe. It was over. The rest of what happened after was blank.

When Veronica awoke, she was in a bed. Her bed? She looked around. She was in a hospital bed. Looking down, she realized that she had been changed into a hospital gown and tucked in tightly. Her head hurt. Badly. She reached up and felt her forehead. Her fingers met gauze and tape.

"You're awake." Came Logan's voice. His head was down next to her on the bed, his long torso stretched from a chair next to her.

"What happened?" She croaked and turned towards him.

He stood up, stretching his arms and back. "You passed out and hit your head on a chair on the way down. I think it was all just too much." He said and came to sit next to her on the bed. She lifted her head a bit and he slid his arm under her neck. She sighed and enjoyed the closeness.

"And Jake and Celeste...?" She asked.

Logan shook his head. "Both dead." He said quietly.

"There was a video camera set up in the room." She stated.

Logan nodded. "Yeah. And Wiedman was off site watching on his way back from Sacramento. Jake told him about our meeting and he insisted on monitoring it. He couldn't get there in time to save Jake, but he did for us." He said, filling in the blanks for Veronica. "He turned the tape over to police. No charges are being laid."

Veronica nodded. It was over. When the dust finally settled, the Kanes were no more. She looked at Logan. "I can't believe she killed him." She said quietly.

Logan wrapped his other arm around her. "I don't think she ever got over losing Lilly and Duncan." He said softly. "Losing your parent is one thing; I can't imagine the pain of losing your children."

Logan was right. And there was nothing more to say as Veronica ran through the events that played out, over in her mind. Silence settled like a warm blanket over them and Veronica felt herself fall asleep again.

She awoke a little while later to the sound of knocking. Still in Logan's arms, she felt him shift her and climb off the bed just as Keith and Alicia entered the room.

"Hey kiddo." Keith said and came over to the other side of the bed. He leaned over and kissed the bandage on the side of her head. "How are you feeling?"

Veronica smiled up at her dad. Even though she was a grown woman, her dad still could make her feel better with his presence. "Okay. Worst headache ever. I still can't believe I passed out." She said and looked to Logan.

He reached out and held her hand. "I'm not. As someone who has been through military training I can honestly say that I have seen grown men crumble at the sight of combat. And that was definitely a war zone we wandered into."

Veronica shook her head sadly. "I just can't get over how Celeste just snapped." She said.

Keith pulled up a chair and sat next to his daughter. "That's because their entire relationship was built on lies. Celeste became pregnant with Lilly just after she began dating Jake, while he was still in love with Lianne. He married her out of obligation, not love. That's not the environment where people thrive; it twists and corrupts from the inside until everything falls apart."

Alicia came and stood behind Keith. "You are both so lucky that they didn't take you down with them." She said and put her hands on her husband's shoulders.

Veronica blinked and flashed on Logan covering her body with his. She shuddered and looked up at him. "They almost did." She said softly, her eyes beginning to pool at the thought. "Logan stepped in front of me when Celeste was going to shoot me." Logan took his thumb and wiped away the tears in her eyes. "She could have killed you." She murmured.

"No. She would have killed you. Then where would I be?" He replied quietly, meeting her eyes. His words hung in the air as everyone in the room contemplated what he had said.

A small knocking at the door broke the silence. The door opened slightly and Hunter poked his head in. "Veronica?" Came his soft voice.

"I'm here, sweetheart. Come and see me." She said and patted the mattress between Logan and herself. Gareth opened the door all the way and Hunter carefully tiptoed across the room and stood next to Logan. Logan lifted him up and planted him beside Veronica. The boy sat there, looking at her head. "It doesn't hurt as bad as it looks." She said and smiled at him.

Gareth stood next to Logan. He looked across the bed at Keith. There was a beat of awkwardness and then Keith rose and extended his hand. "Keith Mars." He said.

Gareth extended his hand and shook it. "Gareth Winters. I hear you have already met Hunter." He said and reached out to pat Hunter's head. He turned to Alicia and offered his hand. "And you must be Alicia. We have been enjoying your family's Lego collection while we've been staying with Veronica and Logan." He said warmly.

"Well then, we will keep it safe for when you and Hunter visit." She said in her kind Alicia way.

"Or for when Veronica and Logan have a baby!" Interjected Hunter excitedly.

All eyes turned to the couple. Both of them looked at each other and started waiving their arms in the air simultaneously. "No no no no no..." They said.

"I'm not pregnant yet." Veronica insisted.

Logan locked on her eyes. "Yet?" He exclaimed. His girlfriend shrugged at him and turned tomato red.

Keith clapped his hands together and laughed. "Well, looks like we have officially out stayed our welcome. " He stood and nodded across the bed. "Gareth...Hunter...if you would like, Alicia and I would love to have you both come over for dinner tonight. Give us a chance to get to know you both a bit better." He said happily.

Gareth smiled a big smile at Hunter and then back at Keith. I'd like that. Thank you Keith. Come on Hunter." He said. "Let's let your sister rest."

Hunter leaned over and hugged Veronica. "Did I say something wrong?" He asked quietly.

Veronica kissed the top if his head. "No, sweetheart. You just keep on being awesome."

Hunter smiled brightly at her and reached up to Logan. He plucked Hunter off the bed, gave him a kiss on the forehead and set him down next to Gareth. "See ya later, little dude."

Hunter hugged Logan's leg, then took his dad's hand. Together, they made their way out the door.

Keith turned to Veronica and smiled softly at her. "Take care of yourself, okay?" Alicia came and took his hand.

"I will dad. I'll talk to you soon." She said and relaxed into the back of the bed.

Keith nodded a goodbye to Logan and started through the door. As Alicia followed she turned to the couple. "Just remember...this door has no lock.." She winked and disappeared with her husband.

Veronica groaned and covered her eyes with her arms. She heard Logan walk around the bed and when she opened her eyes he was standing at the foot, wearing a shit eating grin on his face. "Oh no." She said and rolled her eyes.

Logan leaned on the footboard with his arms stretched out. "Yet?" He teased.

She wagged her finger at him. "Okay. For one, I currently have a head laceration that is impairing my ability to think. Second, get your mind out of my pants...we are not conceiving a child in a hospital bed."

"You're not wearing any pants." He snarked back at her and gave her a lecherous eye wiggle.

Grabbing the end of the covers, she pulled them up to her nose. "We are not talking about this now!" She said through the fabric.

He came and leaned over her, one arm on either side, and kissed the tip of her nose sticking out of the covers. "Yet." He said and smiled.

"Yet." She said, pulling away the covers and kissing him gently on the lips. He climbed up beside her on the bed and curled around her. She settled next to him contentedly and gave a soft sigh. For the moment, there was peace in her heart.


	10. Epilogue

EPILOGUE

For a brief moment, the Seattle sun peaked out between the clouds. Veronica took Logan's hand, stepped out of the limo and slipped under his umbrella. It had rained the past two days leading up to Lianne's funeral and Veronica was beginning to feel like her entire world was filled with overwhelming sadness.

Logan shifted their bodies so Keith and Alicia could slip out from the vehicle as well. Both couples stood quietly, casting their gaze to the first limo. The door was still not open. Other vehicles began to congregate on the road. The priest had somehow beaten them to the gravesite and he was standing several yards away, waiting by the headstone for everyone. Veronica gave Logan a tight smile and let go of his hand. She strode confidently to the first limo and knocked lightly on the window. The door opened and the family watched as Veronica crouched down behind the door. She stayed hidden for a few minutes as people shuffled past. They watched as sowly, she stood, with Hunter wrapped around her, in her arms. She moved back and Gareth stepped out, looking tired and pale. Veronica nodded to her family and turned to walk towards the grave with Gareth and Hunter.

When they reached the grave site, the last of the mourners had already arrived. Quietly, Veronica and Gareth took their place near the priest. As the service commenced, small sobs from Hunter could be heard, but Veronica stood strong, never letting go of the child, not making a sound. When the skies began to rain again, Logan walked behind the crowd and held his umbrella over Veronica, Hunter, and Gareth, letting the water wash over him, unflinching.

And when the ceremony was over, it was Veronica who walked back to the car, with her brother still in her arms, and rocked him in the back seat until he fell asleep.

Back at the hotel room, later that night, Veronica let herself have one last cry for her mother, locked in the shower so she could be alone in her sorrow. When she got out she resolved that was the last time in her life she would mourn her mother, who had too many tears shed for her during Veronica's life.

She wrapped the big, fluffy robe around herself and emerged into the suite. Logan was already in bed, reading a thick novel he brought with him for the plane ride. Veronica walked to the suitcase, on its stand, and pulled out one of his t-shirts. Dropping her robe to the floor, she slipped the shirt over her head and turned around to Logan. He was staring at her with a small smile. With a flick of his hand, he pulled back the covers on her side of the bed, beckoning her in.

She gave him a tired smile and slipped between the covers. It felt so good to be in bed that she gave a little groan of approval. She closed her eyes. "Can I just sleep for a week now?"

Logan slid down so he was lying next to her. "If you need to, sure." He said and brushed some hair off her forehead gently.

She sighed. "I'm just so ready to move on from all of this. Move on with our lives." She looked at his beautiful brown eyes. "I feel like we have been living in a cyclone of chaos since Lianne died and I just..." She grasped for the right words. "I want to get back to us. To you and me." She paused. "To us and OUR family."

Logan smiled. "What family? Like you and me? Or are we talking about making 'we', three' again?"

Veronica moved her body to snuggle up against him under the covers. "No. For now, just you and me. Our own little family." Her voice drifted. "Just...you...and...me..." Logan's face became confused as he watched Veronica work things out in her head. Slowly, she sat up and looked at him in earnest. "Ask me." She said.

"Ask you what?" He said, sitting up with her.

"ASK me. What you've wanted to ask me for three years." She said, beginning to get excited.

Logan's face went from confused to shocked in a matter of seconds. "Wait right here." He said and rolled/stumbled/fell out of bed. Veronica giggled as he stood in his boxers, throwing things out of his suitcase. Finally, he found what he was looking for and palmed it in his hand.

He walked back to her and knelt on the bed. Her face flushed at the excitement and she felt her heart beat faster. He reached out and took her hand and kissed it. "Veronica Mars...will you marry me?" He asked in a quiet, shy voice.

"Yes." She responded. "Yes. I will marry you." She said lovingly, reaching over and giving him a deep kiss on his lips. When she pulled back, Logan opened his hand and presented a small ring box to her in his palm. She took it and opened it slowly. Inside was the most beautiful diamond ring; a square cut diamond with small diamonds surrounding it in a platinum setting. She gasped and she took the ring and slid it on her finger. "Do you always travel with diamonds?" She teased, moving her hand to admire the ring.

Logan laughed deeply. "No! I was going to surprise you with the fact that we are not going home after Seattle...we are going to Hawaii for four days. A quick getaway to regroup after all of this." He said. "But THERE, I was thinking..."

Veronica threw herself around Logan. "You were going to propose there?" She squealed.

He held her tightly. "Yes. It was going to be much more eloquent. And I wasn't going to be in my underwear."

She laughed. "I don't care that you are in your boxers. I don't care that you didn't make any big professions of love. I just care that you want to spend the rest of your life with me."

He caught her mouth in a deep kiss that made her toes tingle and her knees weak. "Ditto." He said when he pulled out of their kiss.

Veronica looked up at him and put her hand on his cheek. Her new diamonds caught the light and flashed. "So, why were you going to propose now?" She asked.

Logan kissed the palm of her hand. "The fact that we are talking about having kids. The fact that I love that you and I are partners in everything we do. The fact that I want your family to be OUR family." He dropped his voice. "The fact that if something happens to you, I don't want to argue with the hospital staff to see you because I am 'just' your boyfriend and not your husband. The fact that if I died tomorrow I would always regret not asking you to marry me." He kissed her forehead. "Why do you suddenly want to get married?" He asked.

She dropped her head for a moment in thought. When she looked back up at him, there were tears in her eyes. "Because when I thought you were shot, the first thing I thought was 'did he know how much I loved him'. It sounds stupid to say it out loud but I wanted to make sure you knew how much I love you and how I want to spend the rest of my life loving you." She shrugged "I know we don't have to be married to do that...but I want to stand up, in front of our friends and family, and show them how much I love you."

Tears were now falling down Logan's face as well. "I love you too." He said. "And I promise, I will spend the rest of my life showing you how much I do."

Veronica rocked back on her heels and pealed off her t-shirt. She pushed her naked body up to Logan's and pressed against him. "How about you start showing me now." She said playfully, and caught his lips is a passionate kiss. They spent the rest of the night in blissful celebration of their new future together.

 **Notes: Thanks to everyone for reading my FanFic. I love writing and I'm glad so many of you enjoy my work. If you head over to Archive of our Own, I have a few pieces in the Veronica Mars Summer Lovin' Challenge beginning July 1. I won't post them here until they are revealed at the end of July. I am also going to start working on a third story to this universe, so be sure to "follow" me if you want a notice when it begins to publish.**


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